No disqualification over prohibited funds as per law: CJP

ISLAMABAD: The three-member Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, resumed hearing the disqualification case against Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan today. 

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi petitioned the Supreme Court late last year to disqualify Imran and PTI leader Jahangir Tareen for ‘not declaring their assets and violating the income tax ordinance and peoples act’. 

The petition also terms the PTI a ‘foreign funded party’, saying it received funds from prohibited organisations and individuals. 

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At the start of the hearing, Abbasi's counsel Akram Sheikh began his arguments.

The bench inquired from PTI chief's counsel, Anwar Mansoor, regarding the objections raised by Sheikh. 

During the proceedings, the chief justice observed that prohibited funds can be confiscated but there can be no disqualification over the matter as per the law.

The bench, which includes Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Umar Ata Bandial, observed on Monday that every political party is answerable over its source of funding according to Article 17 (3) of the Constitution.

The bench was responding to the arguments of Mansoor after he claimed the Election Commission of Pakistan had no right to audit a political party’s funds after they have been audited by a chartered accountancy firm.

During Monday's hearing, Abbasi's counsel had objected to the funding records submitted by the PTI, saying they were inaccurate.