Foreign funding case: ECP gives last chance to PTI to submit reply

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday gave last chance to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) counsel to submit a reply to the petitioner's objections and begin arguments in the PTI foreign funding case.

The ECP bench, led by Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi, resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, at which a junior counsel, who represented the PTI instead of Anwar Mansoor, said the Islamabad High Court will hold a hearing pertaining to the case on December 5, after which they would submit a reply to objections raised by petitioner, Akbar S Babar.

When inquired by ECP member Irshad Qureshi, Babar's counsel said the Supreme Court has reserved a verdict on party funding.

But the case in the apex court is different from the one being run in the ECP, he said, adding the PTI is employing delaying tactics.

The petitioner's counsel further said they are willing to guide the ECP in examining the details submitted by the PTI.

Having listened to both the sides, the ECP served notice to PTI's finance secretary to appear before it on the next hearing.

The election commission also gave last chance to senior PTI counsel Anwar Mansoor to begin his arguments in the case.

The petitioner, Akbar S Babar, lamented that it has been over three years that the case is under trial. He claimed that Imran Khan and the PTI are "hiding from the case."

The ECP will resume hearing the case on December 12.