Larger bench to hear PTI's plea against prohibited funding verdict today

ISLAMABAD: A larger bench of Islamabad High Court (IHC) will hear the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea today against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict in the prohibited funding case, ARY News reported on Thursday.

According to details, the larger bench – which will be headed by IHC Acting Chief Justice Aamir Farooq – includes Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar.

The larger bench will hear the PTI’s petition against the ECP verdict at 2 pm.

In the last hearing, the Islamabad High Court had decided to form a larger bench to hear the PTI’s plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) judgement in the prohibited funding case.

PTI’s lawyer Anwar Mansoor argued that the accounts’ information, which were provided, was not included in the electoral watchdog’s verdict. “We had told ECP that some accounts’ information was not necessary due to some reasons,” he added.

“A larger bench will take up the matter,” Justice Farooq remarked. Subsequently, the court fixed the matter before a larger bench and adjourned the hearing for August 18.

Read More: ECP SAYS PTI RECEIVED PROHIBITED FUNDS, ISSUES SHOW-CAUSE

ECP verdict

The ECP bench in its reserved verdict said prohibited funding against PTI had been proven.

ECP, in its unanimous verdict, ruled that the party received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and from 34 foreign nationals.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi announced the reserved verdict.