FIA casts a wide net in PTI funding case.

KARACHI -- The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Saturday formed a five-member special monitoring team, expanding the scope of inquiry into the prohibited funding case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to the entire country.

The probe kicked off after the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) verdict in the prohibited funding case with the FIA summoning five former ruling party leaders, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, Provincial Minister Mahmoodur Rasheed, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, to appear before it this month.

A five-member special team under the leadership of Director Training Dr Muhammad Athar Waheed will be responsible for coordination with zonal inquiry teams in Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta and Faisalabad.

The team includes Additional Director Khalid Anees, Deputy Director Khawaja Hamad, Deputy Director Chaudhry Ejaz and Assistant Director Ejaz Ahmed Shaikh.

On Tuesday, the electoral body announced the long-awaited decision and ruled that the PTI did indeed receive illegal funding, while issuing a notice to the party asking why the funds should not be confiscated.

The case had been filed by PTI founding but disgruntled member Akbar S Babar which had been pending since November 14, 2014.

The written order of the ECP stated that the political party received illegal funds from foreign countries, including the United States, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and Australia.

The electoral watchdog declared that 13 'unknown' accounts had been found linked to the party and the submissions by PTI Chairman Imran Khan were 'inaccurate and wrong'.

It said the former ruling party had received millions of dollars from 351 foreign companies and 34 nationals.

The eight-year delayed ruling had hit the PTI at a time when Imran was voicing concerns over the top election supervisory body's conduct.

However, in the wake of the ruling, the party downplayed the potential impact on its political fortunes, insisting its books were in record and in fact the ruling vindicated its own stance that the party was not "foreign-funded".

On Thursday, the government decided to send a declaration against the PTI to the Supreme Court following the ECP decision.

Addressing a news conference after a federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime...