ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday fixed for hearing a petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) failure to conclude the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other parties’ funding cases.
During the hearing, Faisal Chaudhry, the counsel for the petitioner PTI leader Farrukh Habib, appeared in the court. On the occasion, Chief Justice Aamir Farooq said that the court can fix the case for hearing after vacations.
To this, the lawyer requested the bench that the case to be heard before the vacations, saying that otherwise, it would be too late. “This is a small issue,” he said.
The CJ said that while it was indeed a “small issue”, the rest of their major issues were scheduled for hearing next week. He remarked that they could schedule it for hearing before vacations.
The court then fixed December 22 for the hearing of the case.
PTI leader Habib submitted in his petition that there was a Supreme Court order regarding scrutiny of party funds, but funds of the PPP and PML-N were being scrutinised for only three years.
On the request of Akbar S Babar, the PTI’s funds from 2008 were scrutinised, he pointed out, adding that the party was “discriminated against” and the ECP “lost its fair and transparent role”.
He pleaded the court to order the commission to complete the scrutiny of the party funds of the PPP and PML-N for over five years within two weeks.
IHC seeks details of Bhara Kahu bypass project expenditures
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to submit details of expenditure being incurred on Bhara Kahu bypass project, passing through a land of the Quaid-e-Azam (QAU) Islamabad.
IHC judge Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzaib heard arguments on identical petitions filed by a professor of the QAU and residents of Murree, Kashmir and Bhara Kahu challenging the construction of multi-billion Bhara Kahu bypass project. Other citizens have also petitioned favouring the construction of the bypass project.
After arguments, the court ordered the CDA to submit details of work carried out on the project and the total expenditures incurred so far.
The counsel for the university professor said that it is a fact that the QAU land will be used for the bypass project and the problem lies as who owns the land.
