Foreign Funding case: Show-cause notice hearing adjourned till Sept 6

ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing pertaining to the show cause notice against former Prime Minister Imran Khan in prohibited funding case, until September 6 on the request of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI’s) counsel.                                            

A four member bench headed by the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the case.   

PTI’s Assistant counsel Naveed Anjum pleaded the case in the Election Commission and sought two week time for submitting a detailed response. He said, he required some time as a lot of documents have to be collected for onward annexation with the reply before the ECP.

CEC said PTI lawyers have been the part of entire process and they must have the necessary documents. Naveed Anjum replied that he has to collect the documents from foreign chapters. It merits mentioning here that the ECP in its verdict contended that PTI had received funds from 351 companies and 34 nationals including US Indian businesswomen. ECP in its show cause warned PTI that why the prohibited funds it received should not be forfeited. 

The ECP in its verdict says, the matter falls within the ambit of Article 17(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, Article 6(3) and Article 2(c)(iii) of PPO, 2002. Hence, the Commission directs that a notice may be issued to the respondent party in terms of Rule-6 of PPR, 2002 as to why the aforementioned prohibited funds may not be confiscated.

The concerned is also directed to initiate any other action under the law, in the light of this order of the Commission, including forwarding the case to the federal government.