'Political party could not be banned in prohibited funding case'

ISLAMABAD: The Chief of Staff of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, Dr Shahbaz Gill said Thursday that a political party could not be banned in prohibited funding case but the money will be taken back by the authorities, ARY News reported.

Dr Shahbaz Gill, while addressing a press conference today, said that PTI was facing the prohibited funding case but the foreign funding case.

He responded to the allegations of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and interior minister Rana Sanaullah who demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announce the verdict of the foreign funding case against the PTI.

READ: PM URGES ECP ANNOUNCE ‘LONG-DELAYED’ PTI FOREIGN FUNDING VERDICT

Dr Gill said that people used to raise funds for contesting elections in many countries including the United States (US). “There were some rulers in Pakistan who committed financial frauds in the name of funding.”

“PTI is facing prohibited funding case but not the foreign funding case. In prohibited funding cases, money can be taken back but the political party will not be banned. However, PTI is not proved guilty in the prohibited funding case as well.”

He criticised that Rana Sanaullah has given threats and committed contempt of court. Gill said that the court has already given its ruling that the verdict of funding-related cases of all parties will be announced at once.

READ: ECP RESERVES VERDICT IN PTI PROHIBITED FUNDING CASE

“We are also asking the election commission to immediately announce the verdict of foreign or prohibited funding cases. We just want to see the implementation of the high court’s order by the ECP while announcing its decision.”

Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah asked the ECP to announce a verdict in the foreign funding case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the Interior Minister criticised the electoral watchdog over the delay in announcing the judgement in PTI foreign funding case.

READ: IHC SETS ASIDE ORDER TO DECIDE PTI ‘PROHIBITED FUNDING’ CASE IN 30 DAYS

“Why election commission is not announcing the reserved verdict if the hearings have been completed,” he said, adding that PTI was trying to avoid the case by creating obstacles and filing nine writ petitions.

Rana Sanaullah said that the government and allied parties have expressed concern over the delay in the announcement of the judgement.