Foreign Funding case: Decision regarding Akbar to be challenged in IHC, ECP told

ISLAMABAD: In what came as a setback to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected the ruling party’s request to remove Akbar Sher Babar from the Foreign Funding case, which, the PTI has announced to challenge in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Neither Shah Khawar nor former attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor appeared before the ECP to represent the ruling party in the case heard by three-member bench.

An associate counsel of PTI informed the ECP bench that Khawar was busy with some engagements in Lahore High Court (LHC) whereas Mansoor was in Sindh. He informed the bench that PTI was going to challenge the ECP’s decision regarding Akbar Sher Babar in IHC and sought time to conclude arguments on Scrutiny Committee’s report related to PTI’s finances.

“This case has been lingering for over seven years. How many more years do you need?” asked Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja who headed the bench.

“Not years but only two weeks,” the PTI associate counsel replied.

Bench Members Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Nisar Ahmed Durrani were of the view that the defence’s side was “habitually” seeking adjournments in the case.

“This is not a good practice”, Jatoi remarked.

The bench then directed Babar’s counsel to start his arguments on the Scrutiny Committee’s report. The case was later adjourned.

Speaking to the media at the ECP after the case proceedings, State Information Minister Farrukh Habib said: “The ECP has announced its decision. Now, we will do what we have to.”

Habib said Maryam Nawaz established a media cell for Akbar Babar, accusing him of receiving money from Maryam’s media cell.

On the other hand, Babar accused PTI of receiving foreign funding from an Indian national. “If they (PTI) are clean, why are they shying away from Foreign Funding Case proceedings? Why are they seeking adjournments?” he deplored, speaking to journalists.

Ahsan Iqbal from PML-N said Foreign Funding case is heading towards its logical conclusion. “Enough is enough. PTI’s delaying tactics will not help. It cannot escape accountability”, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, the ECP reconstituted the Scrutiny Committee to investigate the finances of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) in Foreign Funding case.

The reconstituted four-member committee is led by Director General Law ECP Muhammad Arshad, and comprises of ECP Director General Political Finance Masood Akhtar Sherwanee, Additional Secretary Administration ECP Manzoor Akhtar Malik and Khurram Raza Qureshi from Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP).

Sherwanee also belonged to AGP and was part of the three-member Scrutiny Committee that probed the finances of PTI and submitted report to the ECP in Foreign Funding case.

That committee was also led by DG Law ECP and also had Controller Accounts Air Force Muhammad Faheem as its member but it became dysfunctional following Sherwanee’s retirement from AGP. He has now been employed in the electoral body.

Earlier, after the proceedings of Foreign Funding case on Tuesday, Habib demanded of the ECP to reconstitute the Scrutiny Committee related to PML-N and PPP and ensure the completion of the investigation into their finances at the earliest.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022