Verdict on PTI’s plea in prohibited funding on May 23

DG law contends PTI’s application is inadmissible

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce its verdict on the PTI’s applications in the confiscation of prohibited funding case on May 23.

The polls supervisory body heard the case on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja.

PTI counsel Anwar Mansoor appeared before the ECP, maintaining that the election supervisor had sent their application regarding summoning of witnesses to the DG law but no response was received.

The DG law urged the ECP to announce verdict on the available evidence. He said there was no need to give a written reply on the former ruling party’s application.

The PTI lawyer stated that they had requested the ECP to call the witnesses in light of the high court’s orders.

The DG law noted that the decision of the ECP was final and not interim.

In March, the PTI had filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court, challenging the ECP’s rejection of the request to cross-examine witnesses in the case.

Earlier, the ECP in its detailed judgment had stated that entertaining the application for cross-examination at this stage would mean reopening the entire matter that had been decided in August last year.

The CEC observed that there was no stay on the polls supervisory body’s decision, suggesting that it was better to proceed after leaving the matter that was pending before the high court.

The DG law contended that the PTI’s application was inadmissible and requested the ECP to issue the order to confiscate the former ruling party’s prohibited funding in light of the show-cause notice.

He said the election supervisor should get its decision implemented if the PTI was unable to satisfy it.

The PTI’s counsel contended that they had to contact the donors, saying that the prohibited funding was a 10-year-old issue.

The ECP will announce its decision on the PTI’s applications on May 23.

In its unanimous verdict, the ECP ruled on August 2, 2022 that the PTI had received prohibited funding or contribution.