ECP adjourns hearing of show-cause notice against Imran Khan in Foreign Funding Case until Sep 06
ISLAMABAD, August 23 (SABAH): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of a show-cause notice issued to former prime minister and Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan for confiscation of funds secured through Foreign Funding, until September 06 on the request of PTI’s counsel.
A four-member bench of the commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja, conducted the hearing of the case. PTI’s assistant counsel Naveed Anjum appeared before the commission and informed that the main counsel of Imran Khan, Anawar Mansoor Khan is busy at the Supreme Court of Pakistan so he should be given four weeks time for submitting a detailed response.
He further said, “I need sometime as a number of documents have to be collected for onward annexation with the reply before the ECP.”
The CEC said the PTI lawyers have been the part of entire process which is why they must have the necessary documents. Naveed Anjum replied that he has to collect the documents from foreign chapters. The commission rejected the request of Imran Khan’s counsel to grant four weeks time for submission of reply and directed the counsel to submit reply till 6th September and adjourned further hearing of the case.
It merits mentioning here that the ECP in its verdict contended that the PTI had received funds from 351 companies and 34 nationals including US Indian businesswomen. The ECP in its show-cause warned the PTI that why the prohibited funds it received should not be forfeited.
The ECP in its verdict stated the matter falls within the ambit of Article 17(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, Article 6(3) and Article 2(c)(iii) of PPO, 2002. Hence, the Commission directs that a notice may be issued to the respondent party in terms of Rule-6 of PPR, 2002 as to why the aforementioned prohibited funds may not be confiscated.
The relevant is also directed to initiate any other action under the law, in the light of this order of the Commission, including forwarding the case to the federal government.