ECP announces verdict of PTI prohibited funding case
ECP has announced its verdict on the prohibited funding case against Imran Khan-led PTI, one of the largest political parties in the country.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced its verdict on the prohibited funding case against Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), one of the largest political parties in the country.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising Nisar Ahmed and Shah Mohammad Jatoi announced the unanimous verdict on the 2014 PTI prohibited funding case which was reserved on June 20.
In its verdict, the ECP said that PTI received prohibited funds and the political party failed to disclose 13 of its bank accounts.
Prior to the announcement of the verdict, the political party managed to pass resolutions against CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja from two provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), whereas, former premier and PTI chief Imran Khan announced to stage a protest outside the ECP office in Islamabad on Aug 4 to seek Raja’s resignation.
The ECP bench declared the funding from foreign countries including the United States (US) and Canada, as well as Wooden Cricket, ‘prohibited funds’. The CEC said that the allegations against PTI for receiving prohibited/illegal funds have been proven as the political party received funds from 34 foreign companies.
The political party has been issued a show-cause notice after it was found guilty of receiving prohibited funds.
Fawad Chaudhry, the PTI central leader, said that the Supreme Court (SC) and the high court had directed the election commission to announce the verdicts of all three political parties, PTI, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He added that the commission was not proceeding to look into funding to PML-N and PPP so far.
Fawad said that the ECP verdict will impact nothing as the political decisions will be taken by the nationals but not the chief election commissioner.
سپریم کورٹ اور ہائیکورٹ دونوں کے فیصلے ہیں کہ تینوں جماعتوں کے کیسز کا فیصلہ الیکشن کمیشن کرے لیکن الیکشن کمیشن نون لیگ اور پیپلزُپارٹی کے فنڈنگ معاملات کو دیکھنے کی زحمت نہیں کر رہا آج کوئ آسمان نہیں ٹوٹنا سیاسی فیصلے الیکشن کمشنر نہیں عوام نے کرنے ہیں اصل فیصلہ عوام کا ہو گا
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 2, 2022
Farrukh Habib said in a statement after the verdict that some people would face extreme disappointment today who were making a narrative that it is a foreign funding case and PTI will be banned. He said that it was not a foreign funding case but the commission issued a show-cause notice regarding the prohibited funding case which will be responded.
آج ان لوگوں کو شدید مایوسی ہوئی جو بیانیہ بنا رہے تھے کہ یہ فارن فنڈنگ کا کیس ہے اور پی ٹی آئی بین ہونے جا رہی ہے ثابت ہو گیا کہ یہ فارن فنڈنگ کا کیس نہیں ہے اور ممنوعہ فنڈنگ سے متعلق شوکاز نوٹس کا بھرپور طریقے سے جواب دیا جائے گا۔ @FarrukhHabibISF
#Foreignfundingcase pic.twitter.com/1hoAMGLPTO— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 2, 2022
The verdict was announced by the electoral watchdog after the Financial Times (FT) published an investigative report regarding the details of $2.12 million funds collected in the United Kingdom (UK) through a charity cricket match and the alleged involvement of business tycoon Arif Naqvi.
The case had been filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar and was pending since November 14, 2014. The former PTI leader had levelled serious allegations regarding the financial irregularities in funding to the political party from Pakistan and abroad.
Imran Khan and other PTI leaders denied the charges multiple times and maintained that the sources of funds were not prohibited.
