Govt pitches for early verdict in funding case

ISLAMABAD:

Fresh from the Punjab setback, the ruling coalition parties on Thursday demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the verdict reserved in the prohibited funding case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as soon as possible.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that the best example of protecting the blue-eyed boy, a reference to PTI chief Imran Khan, was the prohibited funding case.

“Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified on the charge of not taking salary from his son, while the blue-eyed boy was given an open exemption as the foreign funding case has not been decided for eight years,” Premier Shehbaz said on his official Twitter handle.

He said there were nine writ petitions in the Islamabad High Court to stop the case, while 50 adjournments were given.

He said that all coalition parties, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, were concerned regarding the delay.

“All coalition parties demand that the decision on the foreign funding case should be announced immediately,” Sanaullah said, adding that more than 300 companies were involved.

He accused Imran Khan of “looting”, saying that he committed Rs50 billion robbery. “Imran does not answer for his robbery but curses his opponents all the time.”

“The PML-N is in favour of holding early elections from the beginning but was silenced because of the allies.

“If K-P and Punjab assemblies are dissolved, in my view, general elections can be held.”

Separately, addressing a news conference alongside Adviser to PM on Kashmir and G-B Affairs Qamar Zaman Kaira, Minister of State for Petroleum Dr Musadik Malik said, “The ECP should give a decision on the foreign funding case against PTI as soon as possible.”

According to the Constitution, Malik said, funds could not be taken from any foreign citizen or company to run a party.

“The PTI has taken funds from foreign companies and individuals, all of whom are awaiting the ECP's decision,” he said, adding that all citizens were equal in the eyes of the Constitution and the law.

“Imran Khan and his wife took 450-kanal of land in the name of a trust while 250-kanal of land was given to Farah [Bushra Bibi’s close friend] where no one can even imagine of buying a place.”

He requested the ECP to announce the decision soon, saying that they would accept whatever decision was made because they were used to accepting decisions.

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The PM’s adviser said that some court decisions were made very quickly in the country and some were not decided at all.

“The PTI has taken adjournment dozens of times in this case,” he said. “If Imran Khan's hands are clean, why is he running away from this case?”

Kaira said demanded of the ECP to announce the decision of the prohibited foreign funding case. “Imran is deliberately criticising the chief election commissioner to put pressure on the ECP.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri demanded of the ECP to announce the “long-delayed” verdict in the prohibited foreign funding case against PTI soon.

“The judgment of foreign and prohibited funding case of PTI should be announced soon as Imran is challenging the writ of the state due to the case,” she said, adding that records had proved that the PTI chief had received seven-and-a-half-million-dollar transactions from different countries in the prohibited funding.

She said the verdict should be announced in the PTI foreign funding case for the sake of national security, national interest and justice as soon as possible.