Foreign funding case: IHC dismisses PTI’s petition challenging ECP’s jurisdiction

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed on Monday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) request to stop the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) from investigating the foreign funding case filed by its disgruntled leader Akbar Babar.

IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani announced his short order today after reserving the verdict in the case on Friday.

The PTI had challenged the jurisdiction of the ECP by maintaining that it cannot disclose its bank account details to the institution as technically it has become a party against it.

A five-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will hear the foreign funding case against the PTI on February 7. 

The bench is being headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) retired Justice Sardar Raza Mohammad Khan.

In 2014, Babar filed a petition in the ECP seeking the disqualification of PTI Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly obtaining funding from illegal sources and discrepancies in the party’s accounts. 

He also claimed that funds worth $3 million were collected by the PTI chief, transferred from illegal channels from the Middle East to bank accounts of PTI members.