PTI funding case: ECP rejects PTI applications for secrecy of scrutiny

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Thursday rejected all the four applications filed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for maintaining secrecy of its accounts during the scrutiny process.

A three-member bench of the ECP, headed by the CEC Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, rejected four Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf applications demanding secrecy of the scrutiny of its accounts besides other objections to the scrutiny process of its accounts by the ECP scrutiny committee. The ECP directed the scrutiny committee to reconvene on October 14 and conclude the scrutiny process as soon as possible. The case was filed in November 2014, by a PTI founding member and former central vice president of PTI Akbar S Babar after developing differences over alleged illegal funding and corruption in the PTI funds.

The scrutiny committee was formed in March 2018 with a mandate of one month to complete audit of the PTI foreign funding. Subsequently, its mandate was extended for an indefinite period.

The petition filed in November 2014 seeks findings on sources of PTI funds in all PTI bank accounts operated in and outside Pakistan revealed or concealed before the ECP.