PTI prohibited funding case: FIA gets funding data from banks

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency’s probe into PTI’s prohibited funding case is in full swing as most of the banks have provided relevant data to the agency. According to FIA officials, the agency will soon receive the remaining data, adding that the agency has a mandate to probe into benami accounts and financial embezzlement.

They added that former governor Sindh Imran Ismail could not receive the notice for appearing before the inquiry committee as the occupants of the place, where the notice was sent, claimed that the address did not belong to Imran Ismail.

Meanwhile, the FIA has also received accounts details of former speaker Asad Qaiser from two private banks in Peshawar. The sources said that as many as Rs20 million were deposited into one of the accounts of Qaiser while Rs0.8million were deposited in the other account. Both of the accounts were opened in 2008-2009.

FIA has served on a notice to Asad Qaiser to appear before the inquiry committee headed by Deputy Director Aftab Butt on Thursday (today); however, he has decided to challenge the FIA notice. The Election Commission of Pakistan, meanwhile, summoned former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan on August 23 to answer the show-cause notice in the prohibited funding case, local media reported.

Meanwhile, the PTI challenged on Wednesday the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ruling in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking annulment of the order in the prohibited funding case.

In his petition filed with the IHC, PTI Additional Secretary-General Omar Ayub asked the court to not only nullify the August 2 ruling, but also revoke the ECP’s show-cause notice sent to PTI Chairperson Imran Khan.

The petitioner said he was “grossly aggrieved” by the fact-finding report — which revealed that the PTI had obtained funds from foreign sources — and demanded that it be declared “perverse, incorrect and in excess of authority and jurisdiction”.