ISLAMABAD: According to ARY News, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday released the long-awaited decision in the prohibited funding case involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
In its reserved judgement, the ECP bench stated that PTI has been the victim of proven prohibited funding.
In a unanimous decision, the ECP determined that the party had received contributions from 34 foreign nationals as well as businessman Arif Naqvi.
The reserved decision was made by a three-person panel that included Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Nisar Ahmed Durrani under the direction of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
Imran Khan submitted a false declaration in the PTI case involving prohibited funding, according to the ECP.
The electoral watchdog also made the decision to demand an explanation from the PTI as to why the commission should not seize the funds it received in a show-cause notice.
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI, filed the lawsuit, which has been pending since November 14, 2014. Babar had claimed that the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad had been subject to serious financial irregularities.
Days prior, the ruling coalition, which includes representatives from the Pakistan Democratic Movement, PPP, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, urged the ECP to announce the case’s verdict.
PTI Foreign Funding Case:
Following the conclusion of the arguments from both sides of the case on June 21, the Election Commission of Pakistan had reserved its judgement.
It is noteworthy that the election commission has been hearing about PTI foreign funding since November 2014.
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI and a former information secretary, had filed the case in the ECP in November 2014, alleging financial irregularities in PTI’s foreign funding as well as the fact that it had received money from illegal sources.
The PTI has rejected the accusations and unsupported.