ECP to examine PTI’s funding details

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decided on Monday to review the funding documents submitted by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). 

Hearing the 'foreign funding case' against the PTI, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan was informed by PTI's counsel Saqlain Haider that the matter is being heard in the Islamabad High Court, which will hear the case on December 5. 

However, the CEC decided that the ECP will examine the 'details' submitted by the PTI and not share them with anyone until the matter is decided by the high court.

It then adjourned the hearing until November 21. 

During the hearing, petitioner Akbar Babar's counsel submitted additional documents claiming that the 'funding details' submitted by PTI are bogus and incomplete. 

Speaking to the media later outside the ECP, Babar said the details submitted by the PTI do not have any money trail or funding history. 

 

"I will give proof of all this. Not only have they tampered evidence but they are now changing records of companies in the US that were established for fundraising," he said, adding that he is now writing a letter to the US ambassador requesting the US government to take action against those companies. 

Babar, a founding member of the PTI, claimed that the donors of Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital have been listed as donors of the PTI.

"Imran's disqualification is the logical conclusion of these cases," he said further. 

At the last hearing on September 18, the PTI submitted to the ECP documents related to its funding. 

The ECP had given the PTI until September 18 to submit details of its funding, warning the party that it would take as fact the petitions submitted against it in case the PTI fails to submit funding details.

PTI submits accounts’ details to ECP in foreign funding case

PTI asked the ECP to give a receipt to the party, but the request was flatly denied by the ECP

On Sept 11, the ECP had reserved its decision in the foreign funding case against the PTI. Hearing PTI founding member Akbar Babar’s petition on September 7, the ECP had given PTI the ‘last chance’ to submit its funding details.

In 2014, Babar filed a petition in the ECP seeking the disqualification of PTI Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly obtaining funding from illegal sources and discrepancies in the party’s accounts.

He also claimed that funds worth $3 million were collected by the PTI chief, transferred from illegal channels from the Middle East to bank accounts of PTI members.