IHC suspends 30-day deadline order in PTI foreign funding case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday suspended single-bench order directing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide foreign funding case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) within 30 days, ARY News reported.

A two-judge bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the single-bench ruling in PTI foreign funding case till the next hearing on May 17.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) had challenged an order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that the foreign funding case be decided within 30 days.

Asad Umar, the party’s secretary-general, filed the appeal against the order of a single-member bench which directed the ECP to conclude the proceedings in the foreign funding case within 30 days.

Speaking to media after filing the intra-court appeal against the IHC decision, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar termed the ECP as biased and said that it does not look the incumbent commission could hold free and fair elections in the country.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) recently also turned down two petitions of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against Akbar S Babar in foreign funding case.

READ: PTI DISOWNS 11 ACCOUNTS IN FOREIGN FUNDING CASE BEFORE ECP

The IHC rejected a petition filed by the ruling political party to bar the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from handing over the records of the PTI foreign funding case to the petitioner Akbar S Babar.

Another petition of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for separating Babar from the proceedings of the case was also rejected by the high court.

It is pertinent to mention here that foreign funding is being heard by the election commission since November 2014.