ECP rejects Imran’s plea in foreign funding case

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Monday suffered a serious blow when the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected his plea over jurisdiction of hearing of case about foreign funding to the political party.

The five-member commission headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Justice (retd) Sarda Muhammad Raza, dismissed plea of the PTI chief that the commission had no jurisdiction to hear his party’s foreign funding case. “The commission has constitutional jurisdiction to hear the case”, the CEC said, while giving ruling over the PTI’s petition challenging the jurisdiction of the ECP.

During the proceeding today (Monday), it was clarified that the ECP had full authority to hear the PTI foreign funding issue whereas contempt of court case against Imran Khan has also been separated from this case.

However, the PTI lawyer told the commission that the matter of violation of code of conduct was under the hearing of the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court.

The hearing has been adjourned till 17th of this month. Later talking to the media, founding member of the PTI, Akbar S Babar, said that the PTI could not present any evidence regarding its foreign funding. He said that the PTI chairman should present himself for accountability.

The PML-N leader, Daniyal Aziz, says the PTI introduced foreign funding in politics. Aziz said that the PTI had no money trail of the funding. On the other hand, the PTI leader, Naeemul Haq, said that his party had accepted the decision and would follow the case as per the law.

Source: The Nation