Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has denied that it is shying away from the proceedings of the foreign funding case and has accused the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Farrukh Habib of using delaying tactics to keep the case lingering.

"In November 2017, Farrukh Habib of PTI filed a complaint before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the PPP alleging, inter alia, incorporation of a company in the United States, and collection of prohibited funds and their transfer into Pakistan," said a statement issued by the PPP on Thursday.

The reply on behalf of PPP was instantly filed by Khosa Law Associates, the statement said. "On June 25, 2018, the ECP assigned this complaint for probe of allegations of foreign funding to the same committee, formed to probe the PTI's foreign funding case, filed by Akbar S Babar."

So far, said the PPP statement, the complainant, Farrukh Habib has "failed to file a single piece of evidence in support of his wild allegations. In dozens of the hearings held before the ECP and the probe committee, not on a single occasion did the PPP remain absent or sought adjournment. On the other hand, most of the times the complainant remained absent from the proceedings before the commission as well as of the probe committee requesting adjournment on one pretext or the other."

The PPP further said, "Out of last 10 hearings, on more than seven occasions the complainant absented himself from probe committee proceedings and, due to his absence on the last date of hearing, the case was put off for hearing to 18 February 2020."

The PPP also denied that the ECP is still awaiting reply to the questionnaire issued to PPP. The correct position is that the questionnaire was issued by the probe committee on 26 November 2019, requiring reply within two days. Despite the unreasonably short time provided, the reply to questionnaire was submitted on 29 November 2019.

Under the terms of reference (ToRs) issued by the ECP to the probe committee, the committee is obligated to probe the allegation of foreign funding in the light of evidence provided by the complainant, the statement said.

"As the complainant persistently failed in providing any evidence in support of his allegation, PPP on 29-11-2019 also filed a formal complaint requesting the probe committee to require the complainant to file evidence in support of his allegations and failing which the complaint may kindly be dismissed," it added.