Prohibited funding case: IHC rejects PTI's plea to stay ECP's show-cause

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday rejected a PTI plea to issue a stay order against a show-cause notice issued from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in prohibited funding case, ARY NEWS reported.

A three-member larger bench of the IHC headed by acting Chief Justice Aamir Kayani along with Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb and Justice Babar Sattar announced the short order after reserving the decision earlier in the day, following arguments from both sides.

The IHC although did not entertain the PTI plea to issue a stay order against the show-cause notice to the party from the ECP, but issued notice to the election commission to argue on the maintainability of the PTI plea and adjourned the proceedings until August 24.

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.

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.