PTI funding case: ECP rejects Imran’s plea to indefinitely postpone case
May 23, 2017
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected on Tuesday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition to indefinitely postpone the party’s funding case.
A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza, also ordered Imran Khan to file his reply by June 7 during the case hearing at ECP on Tuesday.
The court was hearing the petition filed by a common man, identified as Hashim Bhutta. In the petition, Bhutta had claimed that Imran Khan should be disqualified from the upcoming elections as the certificates provided by him in his party’s funding case are false and that the leader has lied before the ECP.
During the hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shahid Gondal, argued that a similar petition has also been filed by Hanif Abbasi in the Supreme Court.
To which, Bhutta’s lawyer, Advocate Sharafat Chaudhry said that the petition filed by Abbasi is different from that of his client.
Chaudhry also remarked that Supreme Court has not stopped ECP from hearing this case. He claimed that Imran Khan acquired funds for his political party through unfair means.
Imran Khan’s lawyer also said that he has already submitted a certificate verifying that the funds were not illegal.
The bench also asked Imran’s lawyer, “What is the problem in giving us the answer to what we have asked from you?”
To which he replied, that a similar reply has been submitted to the Supreme Court.
He then requested the court to postpone the hearing indefinitely.
The bench reserved its verdict on the petition and said they will give it after break.
Later, the bench announced that it rejects Imran Khan’s plea and gave the leader till June 7 to submit his reply.
After the reply comes, then the commission will deliberate whether to postpone the case indefinitely or not, the ECP court ordered.
