PTI challenges IHC order to decide foreign funding case in 30 days

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has filed an intra-court appeal against the decision of the single-bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) which directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide foreign funding case against the party in 30 days, ARY NEWS reported.

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 judiciary has directed to hold all parties accountable in the foreign funding case, however, only the committee finalized for scrutiny of PTI accounts finalized its probe which also followed media trial of the party,” he said.

He further said that documents shared by the PML-N and PPP in scrutiny of their foreign funding cases should also be made public. “The proceedings on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan should proceed in a just and transparent manner,” he said.

While presenting argument before the ECP in foreign funding case recently, PTI’s lawyer Anwar Mansoor, a former attorney general, argued before the ECP that a company registered outside Pakistan could not be called a local entity.

“Funding from multi-national and local companies has been prohibited,” Anwar Mansoor said. “In the election law funding from foreign sources has been prohibited,” he said.

“The Election Act has removed ban on funding from the local companies,” the counsel further argued.

“Are you confessing of foreign funding to the party,” Sindh member of the ECP Nisar Durrani questioned.

“No funds received from prohibited sources,” PTI counsel replied. “The money came from abroad but allegation of funding from prohibited sources is wrong,” the counsel said. “The petitioner should prove the allegation with evidence if the donors are foreigners,” the counsel said.