IHC to hear PTI plea against ECP verdict in prohibited funding case tomorrow

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Islamabad High Court (IHC) Acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq on Tuesday will hear the PTI plea against the verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case.

The IHC Registrar Office has issued the cause list in this regard. In the petition, it has been contended that the proceedings of the ECP and show-cause notices issued in the foreign funding case should nullified. The petition was filed by PTI additional secretary general Umar Ayub.

On August 2, the Election Commission of Pakistan, in a unanimous verdict announced after eight-year hearing, ruled that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had received the prohibited foreign funding amounting to Rs800 million.

The 68-page verdict was announced by three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

The court declared that the financial details submitted by PTI chairman Imran Khan as incorrect. "The PTI received the money from prohibited sources and concealed it. IT violated the Article 17 of the Constitution by concealing 16 bank accounts," it ruled.

The court observed that the PTI received funds from 34 foreign and 351 business institutions and companies while 13 unknown accounts also surfaced during the investigation.

It ruled that the PTI received funding from the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. "Moreover, the PTI also received funding from Bristle Services, Abraj Group, IPI and the USI. It also received US$21,500 from Romita Sethi, an Indian woman," it added.

The ECP has directed the officers to send a copy of the verdict to the federal government.