Akbar Babar urges govt to probe PTI’s bank accounts

ISLAMABAD: Akbar S Babar, a founding member of Pakistan Tehreek Insaf and former information secretary, has urged the interior ministry to investigate PTI’s international bank accounts.

In a letter addressed to Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Babar highlighted concerns regarding PTI’s funding, referencing an order issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on August 2, 2022. The ECP’s order, issued after eight years of hearings on the PTI foreign funding case, stated that the party had received prohibited funding and issued a notice to it regarding the confiscation of funds. Babar emphasised the urgency of pursuing violations documented in the ECP order, citing evidence of gross violations of the law, including undisclosed international bank accounts and illegal donations. Despite evidence of prohibited funding between 2009 and 2013, he noted that PTI’s accounts for the subsequent five-year period remain uninvestigated. He highlighted the PTI’s refusal to share bank statements or details of its international accounts despite ECP orders. Babar listed several international PTI bank accounts, including accounts in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK, and suggested the existence of additional undisclosed accounts. He stressed the importance of investigating any illegal funding of political parties through secret international bank accounts, emphasising the national security implications. He called for action against individuals operating such accounts under the law and urged the minister to seek details of all PTI international bank accounts through mutual legal assistance arrangements. The ECP’s order detailed donations received by the PTI from prohibited sources, including businesses and individuals, in violation of Pakistani laws. Babar highlighted specific instances of prohibited donations received by the PTI and urged the minister to review the ECP order for a summary of funds received from prohibited sources.