ISLAMABAD: After more than 7 years of contesting foreign funding case in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Tuesday petitioned before the electoral body to remove Akbar Sher Babar, the main petitioner against the ruling party, from the case - on the grounds that he had ‘grudges’ against PTI whereas Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) separately handed over its report to electoral body on alleged rigging in 2018 elections urging it to take “punitive action under the law against the glaring theft of the entire general election of 2018.”
A three-member ECP bench led by CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja, and comprising of Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi heard the foreign funding case.
The bench reviewed two petitions moved by PTI wherein it was requested that Babar, the petitioner, be removed from the case as he had ‘grudges’ against the ruling party. The defence side also requested that the proceedings related to Scrutiny Committee’s report regarding PTI be stopped till the bench decided on the petition to remove Babar from the case.
The CEC expressed astonishment on this petition. “Now—after so much time has passed and so many proceedings have taken place—you desire, all of sudden, that he (Babar) should not be in this case whereas he is the main petitioner against you in this very case,” the CEC told the defendant’s counsel.
Babar’s counsel responded that PTI moved similar petitions before ECP, Scrutiny Committee and Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the past— all of which were rejected.
The PTI counsel also said that the petitioner did not submit reply in response to the objections raised by the defence on Scrutiny Committee’s report.
The bench directed Babar’s counsel to submit reply.
The defence again demanded that the Scrutiny Committee probing the funding of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and PPP be reconstituted and submit report to the commission at the earliest.
The CEC, once again, assured PTI that the scrutiny panel would be reconstituted soon. The case was adjourned later. “After seven years, they (PTI) have discovered that my intentions are not right so I should be removed from this case,” Babar told the media after the case hearing.
“Today’s hearing was supposed to review the Scrutiny Committee’s report about PTI funding but the defence side moved two petitions seeking my removal from this case—these are just delaying tactics—they moved similar petitions and defamation cases against me in the past all of which were rejected and I won—they are shying away from the bitter reality that has hit them hard in the face— in the form of Scrutiny Committee’s report,” he added.
Babar said he obtained relevant record from State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in Foreign Funding Case, which, he said, confirmed financial foul play on part of PTI, and submitted it to the electoral body.
State Information Minister Farrukh Habib said the ECP can continue hearing Foreign Funding Case after removing Babar. “He has grudges against us. He should be made to step aside. The case can continue without him,” he told the journalists after the case hearing.
“Every penny that PTI raised from its overseas donors is accounted for. Time and again, we have requested the ECP to ensure the completion of probes related to PML-N and PPP—but the related Scrutiny Committee is dysfunctional due to the retirement of one of its members. Today, we again requested the chief election commissioner that the scrutiny panel be reconstituted at the earliest—everything will come out in black and white if the scrutiny panel is reconstituted and completes its probe regarding PML-N and PPP funding,” he added.
The state minister urged the two opposition parties to “come here and face this case like PTI.”
Meanwhile, a three-member PPP delegation met the CEC to hand over the ‘rigging report’ regarding 2018 general polls.
Senator Taj Haider, Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Farhatullah Babar were part of the delegation.
“Sir, the crimes once committed are never time barred, and, in the background of the punitive actions that ECP has already taken against violations of Election Act 2017, we look forward to further punitive actions on the theft of general election 2018”, the letter accompanying the report and addressed to the CEC, stated.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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