Daily Times

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) application demanding the cross-examination of key witnesses and decided to proceed with the show-cause notice in the foreign funding case. A three-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, resumed the hearing today and announced the verdict it reserved on December 20. During the hearing, the chief election commissioner questioned the progress of the case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC). “What was the IHC’s decision?” he asked. At this, PTI lawyer Nadeem Amjad replied that the IHC had directed the ECP to hear the parties. CEC Raja remarked that the Election Commission hasn’t been stopped from taking action. “Now let’s take this case forward,” he added.

He said that the PTI sought six weeks’ time for the arguments and action was taken on August 23, adding that over six months have passed now. The CEC said time was sought to obtain records from abroad. The PTI’s counsel filed a petition to postpone the hearing of the case for two weeks. To which, the chief election commissioner replied that two weeks’ time cannot be given now.

The Election Commission adjourned the hearing till March 28.

In a unanimous ruling, the election commission’s three-member bench said on August 2, 2022, it found that the PTI received prohibited funding.

The case was earlier referred to as the “foreign funding” case, but later the election commission accepted the PTI’s plea to refer to it as the “prohibited funding” case.