Foreign funding.

AS the pressure builds on his party in the foreign funding case, Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for an expanded public scrutiny of funds given to all political parties. Mr Khan made this statement in response to criticism by the opposition parties who have called on the ECP to conclude the case of the foreign funds allegedly received by the PTI. The matter has dragged on for over six years. While the PPP and PML-N have indicated they would accept Mr Khan's challenge, the ECP has ruled out the option of a public hearing and has asked that 'unnecessary comments' be avoided in this case.

In principle, the full disclosure of political finances received by parties and candidates during polls is a critical step towards increasing electoral transparency and accountability. In some countries, there are laws that require political parties to disclose the source and amount of funds received, while in others there is a cap on how much can be spent by a candidate. Such practices if followed would indeed strengthen the democratic process in Pakistan, where allegations of bribes and horse-trading mar every election. However, Mr Khan's demand that the scrutiny be applied to other parties too is a tad hollow. His party's source of foreign funds have been the subject of an investigation for over six...