ISLAMABAD: Foreign Funding Case PTI Verdict, Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf attempted to justify funding from global firms on Wednesday, and its lawyer asked for more time to prepare his response regarding the prohibited funding detailed in the report of the Electoral Committee of Pakistan’s Audit Committee.
A three-person ECP bench resumed the hearing and PTI counsel made closing arguments in the foreign funding case. He attempted to justify the funding of the PTI by international companies, arguing that funding by internationally registered companies was not precluded as long as a multinational company did not fund a political party. To support his point, he read PPO 2002 Section 6 Subsection (3) which states that any contribution made directly or indirectly by a foreign government, multinational or domestically incorporated public or private company, a Company, trade or professional organization is prohibited. However, he avoided reading the subsection, which said, “The parties may only accept contributions and donations from individuals.”
In response to a question from Sindh Electoral Commission member Nisar Durrani that if he admits that the PTI received funds from a foreign source, the PTI’s lawyer Anwar Mansoor said that the party received foreign funds, but not from illegal sources.
The PTI lawyer said it was alleged that the party was financed by the Sikhs and asked if there weren’t Sikhs, Hindus and Christians living in Pakistan.
After some time, PTI attorney Anwar Ali Khan sought more time to prepare the response regarding the details of the prohibited funding set out in the ECP Review Committee report. The petitioner, Akbar S. Babar, was represented by Badar Iqbal Chaudhry. The hearing was adjourned to April 19.
Speaking to media outside the ECP, Babar, a founding member of the PTI, pointed out that the PTI’s recent attempt to distance him from the case failed when their case in the Islamabad High Court was dismissed. He noted that on March 15, 2022, the PTI disowned 11 of its accounts it previously owned as part of the documents presented to the Audit Committee. He said these 11 accounts were operated by Asad Qaiser, Shah Farman, Imran Ismail and others, among others. In its written reply, PTI explained that these persons were not authorized by the competent authority to open bank accounts and therefore these bank accounts were kept without the knowledge of the PTI finance department.
He said PTI alleges that the 11 accounts “came to the attention of PTI following disclosure of the same by the State Bank of Pakistan in July 2018.” Eleven accounts it disowned were operated directly by the PTI Central Finance Board through PTI Central Finance Secretary Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan. He demanded that the new government, on the instructions of the PTI Finance Board, immediately launch an FIA investigation into the receipt of donations in the personal bank accounts of four PTI employees with a copy to Imran Khan and Dr. Arif Alvi orders. The July 2011 Board letter, a copy of which is available, is part of the evidence submitted to the ECP. He said that among the PTI Finance Board members who authorized the alleged illegal activity Saifullah Niazi, Amir Kiani, Col (retd) Yunus Ali Raza, Dr. Humayun Mohmad, Tariq Sheikh and Sardar Azhar Tariq Khan belong.
Babar has slammed PTI chairman Imran Khan for fabricated charges of regime change and insisted the real conspiracy happens when a political party is funded by corporations and foreigners, including those from India. He said as long as Trump from the White House supported Imran Khan, the US was a friend and when Biden cooled off on Imran Khan, the US had become an enemy. He said leaders pull nations out of crises rather than plunging them into more. He claimed that Imran Khan only fights for personal glory while leaders fight for national glory.