FIA seeks details of funds from PTI chief

Former ruling party given 15 days to furnish record

ISLAMABAD:

The inquiry team appointed by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe the PTI prohibited funding case on Saturday sent a letter to party Chairman Imran Khan and Secretary General Asad Umar and sought details of the party’s accounts, Form-1 submitted with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and other relevant information and record within 15 days.

Following the election supervisor’s judgment that the former ruling party did receive funding from prohibited sources, the FIA on August 6 formed a five-member special monitoring team, expanding the scope of inquiry into the case to the entire country.

On Saturday, FIA Islamabad Zone Commercial Banking Circle Deputy Director and Head of Inquiry Team Amna Baig sent a letter to Imran and Umar.

The PTI chairman has been asked to provide details of the amount collected with regard to party membership fee since its establishment.

The letter asked the party to furnish details of funds provided by the national and international companies, organisations and registered and unregistered trusts since 1996.

It further asked the party to provide PTI’s annual accounts statements and details of foreign currency accounts.

The letter asked the PTI to furnish information about its national and international donors, annual statement of assets of the former ruling party and the parties associated with it from 1996 to 2022 and the international companies and businesses which funded the party.

The FIA has also sought details of the PTI’s board which dealt with the party’s financial affairs and accounts, data pertaining to individuals who received funds on behalf of the party, details of cash given to the party in the name of donation, expenses incurred and the properties given to the former ruling party.

The agency has also sought the list of the party’s office-bearers, their CNICs and names of those who were allowed to operate the party’s bank accounts.

The PTI has been asked to provide a list of members of the central financial board constituted at different times, details of persons appointed by the party abroad and the Form-1 submitted with the ECP.

The party has been directed to provide the required information within 15 days.

Earlier, the ECP had ruled that the PTI did indeed receive prohibited funding, while issuing a notice to the party asking why the funds should not be confiscated.

The case, which had been filed by PTI founding but disgruntled member Akbar S Babar, had been pending since November 14, 2014.

The written order of the ECP stated that the political party received illegal funds from foreign countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and Australia.

The electoral watchdog declared that 13 “unknown' accounts” had been found linked to the party and the submissions by PTI chairman were “inaccurate and wrong”.

It said the former ruling party had received millions of dollars from 351 foreign companies and 34 nationals.