Foreign funding case: Scrutiny Committee to meet thrice a week, says ECP

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Tuesday said it was fully aware of its constitutional and legal responsibilities and was committed to fulfilling them without any pressure.

As the PDM leadership and workers staged a protest outside its secretariat here, the ECP issued a statement saying whether there were general elections, Senate elections, local body elections or by-elections in the country, it was always ready to ensure that they were free, fair and transparent. “With regard to the foreign funding case, the ECP has made significant progress despite the burden of coronavirus pandemic, lawyers’ judicial engagements and retirement of a member of the Scrutiny Committee which has been directed to meet at least three days a week so that this case can reach its logical conclusion,” the commission explained.

A petition against the PTI, alleging irregularities in foreign funding, was filed in November 2014 and the ECP had formed the Scrutiny Committee in 2018 to look into the ruling party accounts. The ruling party denies any wrongdoing. A PTI MNA had moved the commission against the PPP and the PML-N four years back, seeking scrutiny of their foreign funding.