ECP rejects PTI applications for secrecy in scrutiny of foreign funding – Pakistan

The Electoral Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected four requests submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for secrecy during the scrutiny of its foreign funding sources.

A three-judge bank headed by the Chief Election Commissioner, Sardar Mohammad Raza, also instructed the scrutiny committee to continue its work and instructed PTI representatives to appear before the committee on October 14.

The founding member of PTI, Akbar S. Babar, had presented the case in 2014, claiming that nearly $ 3 million was raised in illegal foreign funds through two offshore companies and that the money was sent through illegal channels & # 39 ; I sank & # 39; from the Middle East to employee accounts of & # 39; PTI & # 39 ;. He also claimed that the foreign accounts used to raise funds were hidden from the annual audit reports submitted to the ECP.

In March of last year a scrutiny committee was formed to complete an audit of PTI funding sources in a month. His term was later extended for an indefinite period.

At a previous hearing on October 1, the ECP bank had reserved its verdict on PTI requests after hearing the arguments of the various parties in the case.

Speaking to the media after the verdict was announced, Babar said the PTI fund scrutiny process would lead to its logical conclusion. He said the case of financing against PTI would reveal the real facts to the people and clarified that he had no personal enmity with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Case of Foreign Financing

The dissident founding member of the PTI Babar had presented the case of foreign financing to the ECP in 2014 after he developed differences with the president of the PTI, Imran Khan, on the alleged internal corruption and abuse of the laws governing political financing.

For more than a year, the proceedings of the case were delayed in the ECP, as the PTI had submitted a written request in October 2015 in the Islamabad High Court to prevent the ECP from examining its accounts.

In February 2017, the IHC returned the case to the ECP for a new review of its jurisdiction. On May 8 of the same year, a full ECP bank had once again declared its full jurisdiction over the matter and declared that the PTI had not submitted any evidence that the petitioner had been expelled from the party and, therefore, lost the right to question the accounts of the PTI.

In March 2018, a scrutiny committee was formed to examine PTI foreign fund accounts to determine any irregularities.