Election Commission of Pakistan rejects PTI’s plea demanding the cross-examination of key witnesses in foreign funding case
ISLAMABAD, Mar 22 (SABAH): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) application demanding the cross-examination of key witnesses and decided to proceed with the show-cause notice in the foreign funding case.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja, resumed the hearing on Wednesday and announced the verdict it reserved on December 20, 2022.
The ECP passed the judgment on August 2, 2022, documenting financial fraud and over $7 million of illegal funding, and issued a show cause to the PTI in August 2022 to justify why further legal action should not be taken against it for gross financial irregularities.
However, instead of responding to the show cause, the PTI had filed a fresh application seeking cross-examination of key witnesses.
The electoral body rejected the PTI’s request seeking a cross-examination of the scrutiny committee and the bank officers. Moreover, the objections raised by the party against CEC Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja’s show-cause notice were also dismissed.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the chief election commissioner questioned the progress of the case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). “What was the IHC’s decision?” he asked.
At this, PTI lawyer Nadeem Amjad replied that the IHC had directed the ECP to hear the parties.
CEC Raja remarked that the Election Commission hasn’t been stopped from taking action. “Now let’s take this case forward,” he added.
He said that the PTI sought six weeks’ time for the arguments and action was taken on August 23, adding that over six months have passed now. The CEC said time was sought to obtain records from abroad.
The PTI’s counsel filed a petition to postpone the hearing of the case for two weeks.
To which, the chief election commissioner replied that two weeks’ time cannot be given now. The ECP later adjourned the hearing till March 28.
On Aug 2, 2022, the ECP, in its unanimous verdict, ruled that the party had received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and from 34 foreign nationals. It went on to say that the party had taken ownership of eight accounts and kept 16 hidden.
Unknown accounts had also come to light, said the commission in its verdict, adding that hiding accounts was a “violation” of Article 17 of the Constitution.
The electoral watchdog had then decided to issue a show-cause notice to the PTI to explain why the commission should not seize the funds it received. The commission also stated that PTI chief Imran Khan had submitted a “misdeclaration” with the commission.
The case had been filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar and was pending since November 14, 2014. Babar had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad.