ECP issues notices to PTI, scrutiny committee in foreign funding case

By
Our Correspondent

March 17, 2021

A three-member ECP bench headed by Justice (retd) Irshad Qaiser heard the complaint by petitioner Akhbar S Babar. Photo: Geo.tv/ file
  • ECP issues notices to PTI and its own scrutiny committee for March 22.
  • They have been asked to explain their stance over keeping secret the PTI foreign funding documents.
  • Petitioner's lawyer argues scrutiny process would be a "sham" if documents kept secret.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has sent notices to the PTI and its own scrutiny committee to appear before it on March 22 to explain their stance over keeping secret the PTI foreign funding documents.

This follows a complaint by petitioner Akbar S Babar against the scrutiny committee's decision to keep PTI documents secret.

A three-member ECP bench headed by Justice (retd) Irshad Qaiser heard the complaint. The notices were issued before ECP decides on the secrecy of scrutiny in the PTI foreign funding case, it was learnt.

Read more: Foreign funding case: Agents responsible if funds collected illegally, PTI tells ECP

Babar's lawyer, Ahmad Hassan Shah, challenged the scrutiny committee's decision to keep PTI accounts secret. He invoked the Right to Information Act to seek access to the documents.

The lawyer argued that access to PTI documents is a right of the petitioner in light of Article 5(4) of the Political Parties Order, 2002 and Section 203(5) of the Election Act, 2017.

By keeping the documents secret, the ECP scrutiny committee is violating the terms of reference of the scrutiny that clearly demands scrutiny in the presence of both parties, the petitioner's lawyer said.

He said the scrutiny process would be a "sham" and "mere attempt to rubber stamp fake documents".

Read more: Imran Khan's friend offered to make me chairman Senate, says Akbar S Babar

The lawyer said a secrecy order of the committee is illegal.

About the performance of the committee, Shah regretted that other than writing a letter to the SBP to seek PTI accounts, there has been no investigation into the credible evidence provided regarding illegal funding from across the globe. He read out excerpts of the scrutiny committee order sheets where the committee has refused to share accounts because of pressure from PTI.