PTI moves court for quick decision on foreign funding cases of PPP, PML-N

Farrukh Habib requests IHC to direct ECP to hear prohibited funding cases of other parties on a daily basis

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday submitted a new application in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for a speedy decision on foreign funding cases of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and other parties.

According to Express News, PTI leader Farrukh Habib filed a separate application in a pending case in the IHC requesting that the verdict of foreign funding cases of the PML-N, PPP and other parties be announced soon.

The former minister further requested in the application that the court should order the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct hearings on prohibited funding cases of other parties on a daily basis.

Read ECP gives PTI 'last chance' to submit response in funding case

In the application, Habib took the stand that other political parties were given an opportunity to take political advantage of the “false report against the PTI”, adding that such tactics are a direct attack on democracy.

The fundamental rights of PTI and its members are being "violated", the application read and maintained that the important questions raised in the petition should be answered for the protection of democracy.

PTI foreign funding case

In August earlier this year, the Election Commission of Pakistan had issued its verdict in the prohibited funding case — previously referred to as the foreign funding case — against the PTI, which stated that the party did indeed receive prohibited funding.

In the verdict, the commission noted that the party “knowingly and willfully” received funding from Wootton Cricket Limited, operated by business tycoon Arif Naqvi. The party was a “willing recipient” of prohibited money of $2,121,500, it said.

The ECP said that the party “knowingly and willfully” also received donations from Bristol Engineering Services (a UAE-based company), E-Planet Trustees (a Cayman Islands private registered company), SS Marketing Manchester (a UK-based private company), PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975 which were “hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws”.

The PTI, however, claims that all money it received was actually donations from Pakistanis living abroad and did not fall under the premise of illegal funding.

Also read Foreign funding case: ECP serves show cause notice on Imran Khan

Last week, in a breather to the PTI, the ECP adjourned the hearing of the party’s prohibited funding case originally supposed to take place on November 23.

A three-member commission headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case and gave the former ruling party till December 13 to submit its reply to the commission’s show cause notice regarding confiscation.