ECP calls for report in PTI foreign funding case on Aug 17.

Byline: Iftikhar A. Khan

ISLAMABAD -- In a major development, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the panel scrutinising the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) foreign funding to submit its final report by Aug 17.

The directives have been given in an order passed by the commission last month.

The order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, states that after the submission of the report by the committee on Aug 17, the ECP 'will decide the issue after the perusal of all the record submitted by parties and collected by the Committee from SBP with the assistance and cooperation of the parties and their counsel'.

The order says that 'full opportunity will be given to both parties to assist the Commission in a meaningful way to reach the credible conclusion'.

The ECP has directed the Scrutiny Committee 'to submit its final report to the Commission within shortest possible time instead of referring applications submitted by the parties to the Commission for decision' as this 'situation is causing delay.'

Earlier, the petitioner Akbar S. Babar had raised several objections to the committee's refusal to share with him documents submitted by the PTI and bank statements acquired from the State Bank of Pakistan.

The petitioner had also complained in an application that the Scrutiny Committee had not 'revealed any effort to seek details of PTI fund raising and mode of remittance to Pakistan, PTI bank accounts maintained abroad and the money received in private bank accounts of PTI employees.' Mr Babar had said that he was a founding member of the party and 'entitled by law to have access to full accounts of the party but the Committee is determined to deny the lawful access' and therefore the petitioner could not be part of the eyewash of a scrutiny.

The...