Disheartened: Dissident moves ECP against ‘corruption in PTI’
Says he had asked Imran three years ago to take action
ISLAMABAD:
Akbar Babar, a former leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Friday filed a petition with the top electoral body demanding investigation into the alleged financial irregularities in Imran Khan’s party.
Akbar S Babar who claims to be founding member of the party and served as central information secretary and central vice-president of PTI alleged that on the basis of evidence available with him the party and its leadership acted in violation of articles 3, 5, 6, and 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002.
Talking to the media, Babar said that the filing of the petition is the beginning of a legal battle that would culminate in cleansing PTI of corruption and the corrupt.
He said after waiting in vain for 3 years hoping that the PTI leadership would take notice of what he claimed was documented corruption in the party and would hold the corrupt accountable, he was left with no choice but to pursue the legal course.
The founding member of PTI said that the party was formed to cleanse the decaying political system and set new traditions of transparency and accountability.
He said PTI is a national asset and must be preserved. Babar said PTI workers who stood by it for years for the cause of ‘change’ are increasingly becoming despondent as there is no justice, accountability, and merit within the party.
The former party member said that the report of the PTI Special Audit Report commissioned in March 2013 at his request proved that the PTI finances are in shambles. Giving an example of misuse of party funds, he claimed that around $2 million was received from party members belonging to US alone between February 2010 and June 2013 for the purpose of opening of PTI district offices, but not a single district office was opened with the funds received from the US.
He said the PTI Special Audit report had substantiated his fears expressed to the party chairman Imran Khan in September 2011 that donations for the party have made their way into private bank accounts of PTI employees in gross violation of law.
ECP sources say it is unlikely that ECP will take an action against PTI. “It is not in our jurisdiction. We usually direct such petitioners to move in the competent forums” an official of the law wing of ECP told The Express Tribune.
PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari when contacted said Babar was resorting to a blame game.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2014.
Akbar Babar, a former leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Friday filed a petition with the top electoral body demanding investigation into the alleged financial irregularities in Imran Khan’s party.
Akbar S Babar who claims to be founding member of the party and served as central information secretary and central vice-president of PTI alleged that on the basis of evidence available with him the party and its leadership acted in violation of articles 3, 5, 6, and 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002.
Talking to the media, Babar said that the filing of the petition is the beginning of a legal battle that would culminate in cleansing PTI of corruption and the corrupt.
He said after waiting in vain for 3 years hoping that the PTI leadership would take notice of what he claimed was documented corruption in the party and would hold the corrupt accountable, he was left with no choice but to pursue the legal course.
The founding member of PTI said that the party was formed to cleanse the decaying political system and set new traditions of transparency and accountability.
He said PTI is a national asset and must be preserved. Babar said PTI workers who stood by it for years for the cause of ‘change’ are increasingly becoming despondent as there is no justice, accountability, and merit within the party.
The former party member said that the report of the PTI Special Audit Report commissioned in March 2013 at his request proved that the PTI finances are in shambles. Giving an example of misuse of party funds, he claimed that around $2 million was received from party members belonging to US alone between February 2010 and June 2013 for the purpose of opening of PTI district offices, but not a single district office was opened with the funds received from the US.
He said the PTI Special Audit report had substantiated his fears expressed to the party chairman Imran Khan in September 2011 that donations for the party have made their way into private bank accounts of PTI employees in gross violation of law.
ECP sources say it is unlikely that ECP will take an action against PTI. “It is not in our jurisdiction. We usually direct such petitioners to move in the competent forums” an official of the law wing of ECP told The Express Tribune.
PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari when contacted said Babar was resorting to a blame game.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2014.