ECP adjourns hearing till August 21

ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday adjourned hearing of a disqualification petition against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson, Imran Khan, till August 21st on fears that an identical but a separate case against Imran Khan being heard by the apex court would affect proceedings of the case.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, while heading the bench hearing the case filed by Hashim Ali Bhutta at the ECP, noted that hearing of the petition in the apex court would affect the proceedings at the commission.

Imran Khan’s advocate Fawad Chaudhary at the ECP voiced concerns that as the apex court begins hearing the Panama Papers case from Monday, the proceedings of the case against Khan at the ECP may suffer delays.

“We will have to see how the case proceeds in the apex court,” the CEC maintained.

Petitions seeking the disqualification of Imran Khan and the PTI leader Jahangir Tareen over the non-disclosure of assets, their ownership of offshore companies and for collecting party funds through “prohibited sources” are currently being heard in both the SC and the ECP.

The apex court is hearing a plea filed by PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of Imran Khan and PTI General Secretary Jehangir Tareen, over “non-disclosure of assets, owning offshore companies and running a foreign-funded party,” whereas the ECP is hearing a petition filed by Bhutta, who claims that the PTI had received about $3 million in “foreign funding” through various sources in Texas and California.

A political party cannot legally receive funds from foreign individuals or organisations, and all party heads are required to submit a declaration to the ECP in this regard, while submitting details of their party assets.

In a previous hearing of the case at the ECP, the PTI’s counsel had submitted objections to the petition filed by Bhutta.

Shahid Gondal told the ECP that the petitioner was the son of a former PML-N MNA and he had filed the petition on behalf of the ruling party.

Source: The Nation