ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday decided to hear a petition, on November 10, against the alleged embezzlement in funds of Pakistan Tahreek e Insaf (PTI) received from country and abroad.
The decision was taken on the application of PTI’s former information secretary Akbar S. Babar who had alleged corruption and violation of laws in collection of donations and managing party funds by party leadership.
The meeting of the ECP was held under the chairmanship of Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Muhammad Raza and attended by all members.
The ECP decided that it has jurisdiction to examine funds of any party.
During the meeting, PTI’s counsel Anwar Mansoor apprised the ECP that it was not in the jurisdiction of the commission to hear the petition with regard to the party funds because it was an internal matter of the party.
The petitioner’s lawyer Ahmed Hasan gave detailed arguments against the PTI’s stance, questioning the jurisdiction of the ECP to hear the case.
He said organizing political parties under the law was part of the electoral process to ensure a fundamental right of citizens. He quoted laws that provided specific powers to the commission to scrutinise accounts of parties and confiscate them in case of violation of rules regarding source of funding.
Petitioner’s counsel claimed that the PTI’s position of terming the already submitted accounts as a past and closed transaction was not tenable under the law.
The lawyer said the party had committed to provide all the details regarding sources of funding as ordered by the commission on April 1, 2015 and had sought time to submit the information. However, subsequently the PTI decided to change its lawyer and once again questioned the jurisdiction of the commission, he added.
Talking to media, PTI’s former information secretary Akbar S. Babar said that PTI received huge amount from inside the country as well as from overseas Pakistanis but did not deposit in the party accounts.
He said that documentary evidences have been filed before the ECP and would be scrutinized by the authority in the next hearing.
Akbar S. Babar also claimed that he would also go in the American Court against these funds . Sardar Azhar Tariq Secretary finance of the PTI,talking to media rejected the allegation leveled by PTI’s former information secretary and said that party did not get illegal money. He said that PTI would submit its reply in ECP’s November 10 hearing about the levelled allegations.