ISLAMABAD: As former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party PTI is under the scanner in a foreign funding controversy, the country’s top investigative agency has unearthed three hidden PTI accounts which were used to funnel huge amounts into Pakistan from abroad.
According to Pakistan’s local media outlet, The News International citing Federal Investigation Agency authorities, these accounts were used for transferring funds from the Wootton Cricket Club.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought a reply from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the prohibited funding case, local media reported. During the hearing of the prohibited funding case, Chief of Election Commission Sikandar Sultan Raja gave two weeks to PTI and adjourned the hearing until September 6, ARY News reported.
The assistant of Anwar Mansoor Khan, PTI’s counsel, appeared before the ECP and sought four weeks time to submit a reply and related documents. The CEC asked the counsel if all the documents have been already submitted by PTI in the case, why do they need more time?
“We have sought documents from the PTI foreign chapter in the case because many things needed to be explained as per the ECP’s order in the PTI prohibited funding case,” he replied. Denying the four-week time period for submission of documents, CEC Raja gave two weeks time to PTI.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency has formed a six-member probe team to launch an investigation into the PTI prohibited funding case. The probe team was formed by the intelligence agency, sources said and added that Director Amna Baig will lead the investigation team, according to ARY News.
On August 2, the ECP, in its unanimous verdict, ruled that the party received funds from 351 businesses including business tycoon Arif Naqvi and from 34 foreign nationals. The donations were sent from America, Australia, Canada, and the UAE.
The ECP observed the ‘unknown accounts’ and said that hiding accounts are a “violation of the Constitution”. The ECP bench in its reserved verdict said prohibited funding against PTI had been proven. A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi announced the reserved verdict.
Moreover, it found that PTI Chairman and former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan submitted a false Nomination Form I. The ECP decided to issue a show-cause notice to the PTI to explain why the commission should not seize the funds it received.
Notably, Akbar S Babar, the man who blew the lid off the scam involving the inflow of dubious foreign funds into Imran Khan’s political outfit Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) formally approached the FIA to initiate a probe against the PTI. (ANI)