On Tuesday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent a notice to the PTI asking why the cash should not be seized after reaching a unanimous decision that the party had indeed received illegal funding.
The decision in a case brought by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar that had been waiting since November 14, 2014, was made public by a three-member ECP bench led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
The judgment, which was withheld on June 21, was scheduled to be delivered at 10 am but was over 30 minutes late.
- Commission finds PTI received funding from prohibited sources
- Party got funds from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign-based companies
- PTI took ownership of eight accounts, kept 13 hidden and failed to mention three
- Notice issued to PTI to explain why funds shouldn’t be confiscated
- Form-1 submitted by Imran Khan found to be “grossly inaccurate”
The commission highlighted that the party “knowingly and intentionally” accepted cash from Wootton Cricket Limited, run by business magnate Arif Naqvi, in the written verdict, a copy of which is available with the News Agency.
It said that the party was a “willing recipient” of $2,121,500 in illegal funds.
According to the ECP, the party also “knowingly and willfully” accepted donations from PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975, which were “hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws,” as well as Bristol Engineering Services, an organization with its headquarters in the United Arab Emirates, E-Planet Trustees, a private company registered in the Cayman Islands, SS Marketing Manchester, and PTI USA LLC-6160.
It continued by stating that PTI Canada Corporation and PTI UK Public Limited Company also provided donations to the party.
“From both the companies, the amounts received into its accounts of PTI Pakistan are hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws.”
Additionally, the party received contributions from the Australian corporation Dunpec Limited as well as the Pakistani firms Anwar Brothers, Zain Cotton, and Young Sports, which again broke the law.
“PTI Pakistan, through fundraising campaigns by PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975, was a recipient of donations from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign-based companies. Collection of donations and contributions from foreign nationals and companies are hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws,” it said.
The election body added that it had been determined that the PTI had received funds from Romita Shetty, an Indian-origin businesswoman operating illegally in the US.
The ECP said that the party had only eight accounts prior to the commission and listed thirteen of them as unknown.
“The data obtained from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reveals that all the 13 accounts disowned by the PTI were opened and operated by senior PTI management and leadership at [a] central and provincial level.”
The commission further observed that the party neglected to reveal three accounts that were also handled by the senior leadership of the party.
It claimed that the PTI’s failure to disclose and conceal 16 bank accounts was a “serious breach” on the part of the organization’s leadership and a violation of Article 17(3) of the Constitution.
Article 17(3) says: “Every political party shall account for the source of its funds in accordance with the law.”
The Form-I that the PTI chairman Imran Khan filed for the five years (from 2008 to 2013) was deemed to be “grossly incorrect” based on the financial accounts that this commission got from SBP and other evidence in the public record.
To read our blog on “World Bank has refused to provide new funding to Sri Lanka,” click here.
