ECP gives five-day time to PTI’s counsel to complete arguments
Commission directs party’s financial expert to wind up his briefing in two days in foreign funding case
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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday directed Anwar Mansoor, counsel for the PTI, to complete his arguments in the party’s foreign funding case within two days, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The ECP also directed PTI’s financial expert Najam Shah to complete his briefing in five days.
A three-member of the ECP, headed by the chief election commissioner (CEC), is hearing the party’s foreign funding case.
During the hearing of the case, Najam told the commission that contrary to the scrutiny committee’s findings that the PTI had received over Rs1.64 billion in funds between 2009 and 2013, the fact was that Rs1.33 billion had landed in the party’s bank accounts. “Hence, there is a difference of over Rs310 million between the amounts given in the committee’s report and that actually received by the party during the aforementioned period,” he clarified.
“This is an overstatement,” PTI’s financial expert said, and expressed the fear that a narrative was being built that the party had received over Rs2 billion in funds.
The CEC asked the financial expert not to go into bank accounts’ details as he had already shared sufficient information with the commission.
Najam said the issue was that the scrutiny committee had ignored all details of the PTI’s accounts. “I want to share with you details of the accounts which the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had said belonged to the party,” he said.
“Then you better make a column and put all information in it,” the CEC asked the financial expert.
PTI’s counsel replied that it would take him five days to complete his arguments in the case.
While Najam, on the other hand, said that he needed two days to provide all details to the commission.
This prompted lawyer for the petitioner to remind the CEC that he had been given only five days to speak. “On the other hand, PTI’s counsel had said that it would take him five minutes to conclude his arguments,” he added.
The CEC remarked that when he had already waited for so long then what was the issue with waiting for five more days?
He further said that it was easy to level an allegation, but difficult to prove it.
The hearing of the case was then adjourned until June 7.
Reporters: Usman Khan, Usman Javed