ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has submitted a new plea against Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in foreign funding case. A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Raza resumed hearing of party funding case here in Islamabad today whereas Farrukh Habib and legal counsel Faisal Chaudhry appeared before Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on behalf of the PTI. PTI’s counsel sought approval for the new plea, requesting the court to summon lawyers of both parties for the hearing. He apprised the bench that first hearing on the case had taken place on Dec 22 last year, following which a reply was submitted by PMLN’s Raja Zafarul Haq on Jan 22. He said his party was opposed to the reply submitted by the PML-N leader. Later, PPP’s counsel submitted an affidavit without signature of party’s chief on it. Annoyed over the absence of signatures, the chief election commissioner directed the PPP lawyer to re-submit the affidavit with signature of an authoritative figure of the party. PML-N requested the court to adjourn hearing till Feb 22, saying that the party’s legal counsel could not appear before the ECP due to his obligations with the apex court. The bench approved the request and adjourned hearing against the PMLN till Feb-27. The hearing against PPP was adjourned till March 6. On September 12, PTI had moved the Supreme Court over the issue requesting the country’s top court to declare the PML-N and the PPP as foreign-funded parties, receiving funds from forbidden sources. Published in Daily Times, February 20th 2018.