The much-anticipated decision in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prohibited funding case will be delivered tomorrow, according to a statement made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday.
In its reserved judgment, the ECP bench stated that PTI has been the subject of proven prohibited funding.
In a unanimous decision, the ECP determined that the party had accepted contributions from 34 foreign nationals as well as business tycon Arif Naqvi.
The reserved decision was made by a three-person panel that included Shah Muhammad Jatoi and Nisar Ahmed Durrani under the direction of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja.
Imran Khan filed a forged declaration in the PTI case involving prohibited funding, according to the ECP. The electoral watchdog also made the decision to demand an explanation from the PTI as to why the commission should not seize the funds it received in a show-cause notice.
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI, filed the lawsuit, which has been ongoing since November 14, 2014. Babar had claimed that the party’s funding from Pakistan and overseas had been subject to major financial irregularities.
Days prior, the ruling coalition, which is made up of representatives from the Pakistan Democratic Movement, PPP, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, requested the ECP to disclose the judgement.
Strict security measures were taken in Islamabad before to the judgement in the PTI prohibited funding case being announced. Roads leading to the election commission were shut off, and there was a strong police presence outside the building.
There are only two points of entry into Shahrah-e-Dastoor, where the ECP headquarters is located: Serena and Margalla Roads.
Police have closed Nadra Chowk and the route near the electoral commission by putting containers there.
PTI foreign funding case
After the end of the arguments from both sides of the dispute on June 21, the Pakistani Election Commission has reserved its judgment.
It is notable that the election commission has been hearing about PTI foreign funding since November 2014.
Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of PTI and a former information secretary, had filed the lawsuit at the ECP in November 2014, alleging financial irregularities in PTI’s overseas funding as well as the fact that it had received money from illegal sources.
The PTI has dismissed the allegations as unfounded and unsubstantiated.
