Financial ‘irregularities’: PTI asked to submit foreign funds details

ECP takes up issue on allegations of corruption in collection of donation

ISLAMABAD: The electoral authority has ordered the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to submit all the details of its foreign funding by May 6. The move came after one of the party’s founding members alleged financial corruption in collection of donations.

The directions were issued on Wednesday by a full bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza while hearing a case filed by PTI’s former founding member and central information secretary Akbar S Babar.

He has alleged that the PTI committed financial corruption and violated laws in collecting donations.

Earlier on March 17, the PTI had stated that the details of all the funds received have been duly recorded in the annual audit reports submitted to the ECP. During the scrutiny of PTI audit reports, the PTI lawyer failed to substantiate the claim as required under the law.

During the hearing, the lawyer contended that since the audit reports were accepted by the ECP at the time of submission, the ECP cannot question the authenticity of the audit reports now.

The CEC responded that the matter was in dispute and a pile of evidence had been produced which showed that foreign funds from forbidden sources were allegedly received and the commission had the right to scrutinise audit reports submitted earlier by the PTI.

Justice (retd) Fazlur Rehman, ECP member from Balochistan, read out the relevant clauses that demand that political parties must submit details of foreign funding whereas the PTI audit reports show no details.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2015.