ECP Election Commotion of Pakistan says PTI received 'prohibited funds' from 34 foreign Nationals
Channel: Mediatrack Pakistan
Date: 02/08/2022

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) received 'prohibited funds' from 34 foreign nationals and 351 companies based outside the country.

The party was issued a show cause notice after the unanimous verdict — reserved in June earlier this year – by the three-member bench of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja.

"The Commission directs that a notice may be issued to the Respondent party [PTI] in terms of Rule-6 of PPR 2002, as to why the aforementioned prohibited funds may not be confiscated. The office is also directed to initiate any other action under the law, in light of this order of the Commission," said the 68-page judgement - a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune.

The electoral watchdog also declared that 13 'unknown' accounts have been found linked to the party and the submissions by PTI chief Imran Khan were 'inaccurate and wrong'.

“This Commission is constrained to hold that Mr Imran Khan failed to discharge his obligations as mandated under the Pakistani Statutes. The Chairman PTI has or successive five years (2008-2009 to 2012-2013) under review and examination has submitted Form-1 and signed a Certificate which is not consistent with [the] accounting information before us which has been gathered and complied on the basis of information obtained from Banks through [the] State Bank of Pakistan," said the judgement by the ECP.

“Mr Imran Khan for the five years under review has filed submissions which were grossly inaccurate and wrong. Even during the course of Scrutiny and Hearing by this Commission, PTI continued to conceal and withhold complete and full disclosure of [the] source of its funds."

Imran had personally issued certificates to the ECP in regards to Article 13(2) of the PPO to the effect that PTI “does not receive funds from prohibited sources”, meaning thereby that the PTI is not a foreign-aided political party.

The commission stated in its verdict said that the party "knowingly and willingly" recieved funding from Wootton Cricket Limited which was operated by the now jailed tycoon Arif Naqvi. The PTI was a "willing recipient" of $2,121,500.

Other foreign-based companies which donated to the party include the UAE-based Bristol Engineering Services, Cayman Island registered E-Planet Trustees, Australia-based Dunpec Limited and the UK-based SS Marketing Manchester.

The election commission, in its verdict, also stated the party violated Article 17(3) (3) of the Constitution as the PTI failed to declare three bank accounts operated by the party's senior leadership and the concealment of 16 bank accounts by the party was a "serious lapse".

'Battle between truth and strength'

The petitioner of the case, PTI founding member Akbar S Babar, spoke to the media after the verdict's announcement and thanked God and his late mother for "victory" in "this battle".

"We were fighting against a mountain. This was a battle of truth versus strength and we are victorious."

Babar stated that there was no personal benefit for him in this case, rather the nation benefitted as Pakistani politics needed a pivotal change so that political parties were tested under the law.

He thanked the ECP, stating that we [the people] had to trust and strengthen state institutions.

"We were tested many times over these past eight years but this very same election commission has agreed with all my arguments."

Reiterating the decision of the electoral watchdog, Babar maintained that the ECP had agreed that the PTI received funding from foreign individuals and companies and that several certificates submitted by Imran were "fake".

"Imran Khan used to threaten PTI, would insult the chief of the election commission and attack people personally", he claimed, adding that he believed this was "fascism".

He claimed that the ECP's decision was a step towards uprooting PTI's "fascism".

'Not a case of foreign funding'

PTI leader Farrukh Habib said that the party has maintained that "this was not a foreign funding case, this was a case about prohibited funding".

He further stated that those who propelled the narrative of the case being about "foreign funding" have been severely disappointed that the PTI was not banned today, it was only served a show cause notice.

"We will give a sufficient reply to the notice", he concluded.

Maleeka Bokhari, talking to the media after Habib, said media groups against the PTI and the coalition parties of PDM had "lost hope" today.

She claimed that the PTI was not the kind of party to accept foreign funding, however, the "propaganda" against it was furthered for years.

According to Bokhari, investigation committees were formed in 2018 to inquire into PTI funding but their reports were never made public.