ECP to hear alleged threats to Akbar S Babar on Feb 27

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the alleged threats to the petitioner and his liberty and fixed February 27 for hearing.

The petitioner Akbar S Babar, who is former information secretary of PTI and erstwhile close aide of the party Chairman Imran Khan, had filed an application in the ECP recently, mentioning the alleged threats to his life and liberty. The ECP has served notice on him to appear before the Election Commission on February 27 for hearing of his application. In his application filed before the ECP on January 24 this year, Babar had accused the PTI leadership of persecuting him by employing covert, overt, and frivolous legal means. Babar had demanded that the ECP act under Section 4 of the Election Act, 2017 to do justice in the matter and ensure his safety by restraining the PTI from harassing and threatening him.

He had requested early conclusion of the case and demanded daily scrutiny of PTI foreign funding within a limited and fixed timeframe. He had filed the foreign funding case in the Election Commission back in November 2014, which is yet to be decided.

Babar had sought protection against threats and harassment by PTI and an early conclusion of the foreign funding case. In the application, Babar had accused the PTI of implementing a well-conceived strategy to silence and gag him and force him to withdraw the foreign funding case by subjecting him to unending and frivolous litigation while repeatedly subjecting him to overt as well as veiled threats, thus, endangering his life and liberty.

Babar had claimed that the ECP delay in settling the foreign funding case has allowed PTI to employ pressure tactics to force him to withdraw the case such as frivolous litigation, threats, and on occasions lucrative offers.