The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday decided to constitute a larger bench to hear the appeal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the verdict of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case. Acting Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard the appeal filed by the PTI Additional Secretary General Omar Ayub through his lawyers Anwar Mansoor Khan and Shahkhawar. The ECP had issued a show-cause notice to the PTI declaring that the party had received the funds illegally. At the outset of hearing, Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that it was an important and serious issue needing a larger bench to take up this case. Anwar Mansoor Advocate prayed the court to stop the ECP from taking action against his party. The court, however, decided to constitute a larger bench to hear the matter and adjourned further hearing till August 18. It may be mentioned that the PTI had prayed the court to declare the ECP’s August 2 verdict illegal. It also prayed the court to terminate the show cause notice served to PTI for not declaring its 13 unknown accounts.
The petition requested the court to declare the fact finding report of the ECP as null and void. The ECP in its notice had asked the party to explain as to why its prohibited funds should not be confiscated. Mansoor said the party had challenged the electoral watchdog’s “fact- finding report” in the case. He went on to argue that money was transferred from the main account to the provinces, saying that it was not necessary to disclose the details. Mansoor urged the court to ensure that no action was taken as far as the notice to the party is concerned. “A larger bench will take up the matter,” Justice Farooq remarked. Subsequently, the court fixed the matter before a larger bench and adjourned the hearing for August 18 (Thursday). Earlier this month, the ECP, in a unanimous verdict, had ruled that the party did receive millions of dollars of funds from 351 foreign companies and 34 foreign nationals, including a US-Indian businesswoman, and ordered the issuance of a notice to the PTI, seeking an explanation as to why the prohibited funds it received should not be forfeited.
