ECP gives last chance to parties to present funding details

Commission warns them of ‘unilateral’ action if orders not complied with by Jan 18

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday gave one last chance to all political parties to clear the air about their funding, warning them of “unilateral” action against them if they failed to do until the next hearing on January 18.

On the PTI’s plea to investigate the funding of other parties, the party’s lawyer Shah Khawar appeared before a bench of the commission.

However, no representative of the ANP and BNP-M attended the hearing.

ECP Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Member Justice (retd) Ikramullah Khan wondered whether or not the ANP had anything at all.

He remarked that the matter had been turned into a political case.

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The PTI lawyer said he had appeared before the bench to present his final arguments, but if the commission wanted to give another chance to the parties, he would not mind that.

However, he added, the ECP should give a clear order that those who did not appear at the next hearing would lose their right to defend themselves.

The ECP K-P member noted that the commission was ready to decide the case, but the matter was being adjourned because of the absence of lawyers representing the political parties.

The ECP then gave the political parties one last chance to respond and present their arguments, warning that otherwise unilateral action would be taken against them.

The commission adjourned the matter till January 18.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court issued a notice to the ECP, seeking a report on the scrutiny of political parties’ funding.

IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq heard PTI leader Farrukh Habib’s plea for an early investigation of the PPP and PML-N's funds.

Barrister Anwar Mansoor Khan appeared in court on behalf of the petitioner.

He maintained that the ECP had only completed the scrutiny of PTI’s funding.

However, he added that the commission had yet to scrutinise the funding of other political parties.

The IHC CJ inquired that whether or not the PTI’s plea was for the early scrutiny of other parties’ funding.

Barrister Anwar replied that the party was seeking something more in its plea.

The IHC CJ remarked that it would be better if the party kept the matters simpler.

Barrister Anwar sought a brief date for wrapping up the plea.

The IHC CJ replied that the court could adjourn the case till the first week of February as the winter vacation was also around the corner.

On the insistence of the lawyer, the hearing of the case was adjourned till the last week of January.