ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday adjourned the hearing on a petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the scrutiny of funding of registered political parties, till October 20.

Shah Khawar, the PTI’s lawyer, pointed out that the ECP’s political financial wing had identified certain violations in the accounts of 19 political parties.

Earlier, the PTI lawyer had contended that it was mandatory for each political party to declare the sources of funding under the ECP Act and the commission was responsible to carry out scrutiny of the accounts of the parties.

A lawyer of the MQM contended that the PTI was accusing other political parties for not disclosing source of party funds following the ECP declared PTI funding against the rules and regulations.

Kamran Murtaza, JUI lawyer contended that the PTI was sentenced in foreign funding case and it was not an affected party.

The ECP also held a hearing on the alleged violation of the code of conduct case against Chief Minister KPK Mahmood Khan.

The lawyer of Mahmood Khan requested the ECP bench to club the case with another case pending in the ECP.

He further said that the Peshawar High Court (PHC) granted stay to Mahmood Khan against any action taken by the ECP. The ECP took notice of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister's violations of the code of conduct. It alleged that provincial government machinery and helicopters were being used freely in pre-poll rallies.

The commission said it had taken notice of the violations of the code committed by the KP chief minister, despite repeated warnings during the PTI rally for NA-24, Charsadda by-elections.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022