The Islamabad High Court has formed a larger bench on the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision against the party in the prohibited funding case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Acting Chief Justice Aamir Farooq heard the PTI petition against the ECP verdict on Tuesday. 

Anwar Mansoor appeared before the court on behalf of the PTI. He told the court that there was no mention of the accounts, the information of which the party had provided to the commission. 

The lawyer said that the party had informed the ECP that information about some accounts was not possible due to some reasons. He said some money was transferred to the provincial heads of the party from the main accounts. 

Justice Farooq remarked as far as he remembered it was the first case of its kind after the Wali Khan case. In that case, a reference had been sent but in this case the reference is yet to be sent, he added. 

The PTI lawyer pleaded with the court to bar the ECP from taking any action against the party. 

Justice Farooq remarked that’s why he had formed a larger bench to decide about the matter.

With this, the acting CJ adjourned the hearing till Aug 18.

On August 2, the Election Commission of Pakistan in its unanimous decision declared that the Pakistan Tehreek-insaf got prohibited funding from 34 foreigners including the LLC, America. 

The ECP declared that the PTI received funds from 34 foreigners and 351 business personalities. The PTI owned only eight bank accounts, concealed 16 and disowned 13 accounts. 

The commission further said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had submitted a misdeclaration to the ECP. The commission issued a show cause notice to the PTI demanding an explanation from the PTI chief regarding prohibited funding. 

The ECP declared that the PTI willing got funds from America, Canada, LLC, Bristol Services, Abraaj group, Arif Naqvi, Romita Shetty, IPI and USI. The commission said that concealing 16 accounts was a violation of Article 17.

The ECP recommended that if the PTI failed to give a satisfactory reply in the prohibited funding case, then an action under the law could be initiated against the party and its prohibited funds could be confiscated. 

A three-member bench of the Election Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi conducted the hearing.

 

Reporter Ehtisham Kiyani