ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday decided to set up a “larger bench” to hear a petition moved by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to annul the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) verdict in the prohibited funding case against the party.
Acting IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard a petition filed by PTI’s Additional Secretary General Omar Ayyub through his lawyers Anwar Mansoor Khan and Shahkhawar Advocate.
At the outset of hearing, Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that it was an important and serious issue and should be constituted a larger bench to take up this case.
PTI’s Lawyer Anwar Mansoor prayed the court to stop the electoral body from taking action against his party in following the show-cause notice. The court, however, decided to constitute a larger bench to hear the matter and adjourned further hearing till August 18.
During the proceedings, Anwar Mansoor Khan, counsel for PTI, argued the accounts’ information was not included in the watchdog’s verdict. “We told ECP that certain information was not necessary due to some reasons,” he added. He noted that some funds were transferred to provincial leaders from central accounts, urging the high court to stop ECP from taking any action against the party based on that judgement.
On August 2, in a highly contentious verdict, the election commission ruled the part of former prime minister Imran Khan accepted millions of dollars in so-called illegal funds from foreign individuals and groups.
The commission said it found that the party concealed 16 bank accounts and accepted donations from foreigners or foreign groups based in Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and the Cayman Islands.
The party rejected the judgement, insisting the “foreign” donors were in fact Pakistan nationals living abroad.
The law bars political parties from receiving funds and donations from foreign individuals and companies.
