ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will announce its verdict in the much-delayed prohibited funding case — previously referred to as the foreign funding case — against the PTI on Tuesday (August 2) at 10am.
The case, which was filed by party founding member Akbar S Babar, has been pending since Nov 14, 2014. Babar, who is no longer associated with PTI, had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad.
The PTI has denied any wrongdoing and maintains the funding is not from prohibited sources. Last month, ECP reserved its verdict in the case.
According to the ECP website, a three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi will preside over the hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
The development comes days after a delegation of the ruling alliance, comprising members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, PPP, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, met ECP officials and urged them to release the verdict in the case.
On June 21, the ECP had reserved its verdict in the prohibited funding case — previously referred to as the foreign funding case — against the PTI, which has not been issued yet.
The petitioner, Babar, had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad. The PTI had, however, denied any wrongdoing, and maintains the funding is not from prohibited sources.
On January 4, the ECP’s scrutiny committee, formed in March 2018 to examine the PTI’s foreign funding in one month, finally submitted its report after 95 hearings and nearly four years.
