PML-N fails to provide evidence of donations to ECP

PTI questions ‘unverified’ Rs450 million in rival party’s transactions

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has failed to account for the funds of more than Rs450 million it received in the form of donations.

An in-camera meeting of the scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Deputy Director Law to review the financial accounts of the PML-N.

Raja Riaz and Advocate Jahangir Jadoon appeared before the committee on behalf of the PML-N, while the financial experts were deputed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Najam ul-Saqib and Jamal Abdul Nasser, perused the accounts of the opposition party.

However, sources said that PML-N was unable to provide evidence of party funds received as donations as unconfirmed transactions of millions of rupees in the party’s accounts have come to light.

During the hearing, the ruling party contended that more than Rs450 millions of PML-N party funds were unverified, demanding of the opposition party to furnish bank statements and cross-checks before the panel.

Moreover, PML-N has yet to provide bank statements of five other party accounts to the ECP’s panel, sources added.

As per the order of the electoral supervisor, the perusal of PML-N’s accounts will continue for eight days.

Similarly, in the second phase, the panel will begin the proceedings for the accounts of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

A two-member bench of the commission earlier this month accepted the application filed by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib seeking access to the accounts of the two major opposition parties at a hearing of the foreign funding case.

Farrukh has alleged that PML-N had concealed seven accounts while the PPP had hidden 12 accounts from the ECP. He requested the commission to give the ruling party access to the financial accounts of both parties for a ‘meaningful audit’.