PTI received prohibited funding amounting to Rs800 million, rules ECP

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - 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 on Tuesday.

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.

Meanwhile, the ECP sent a show-cause notice to the PTI. It directed the federal government to take further action on the basis of the investigations into the prohibited funding. The federal government can send a reference to the Supreme Court for submitting the fake affidavit and concealing accounts.

According to legal experts, it is illegal to conceal the accounts to some extent whether it the funding is prohibited or foreign. "An action can be taken after the affidavit is proved wrong. The Supreme Court will make the final decision," they opined.