ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has shown mistrust over the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying that the commission has mala fide intentions towards the party.
The party has also expressed reservations over the reply of ECP, submitted before the Supreme Court (SC), stating that the ECP was specifically targeting the country’s second largest political party.
“Unfortunately, the ECP is targeting the PTI only, which shows an apparent bias of ECP against the PTI. If the ECP thought that it had Suo Moto powers, it could have taken of the matter on pointation, but did not want to take up matters of other parties targeting only PTI,” stated PTI in its 27-page reply arguing on the jurisdiction of ECP over foreign funding.
It added that there was no provision in the Political Party Order (PPO) enabling the ECP to have suo motu power.
PTI lawyer Anwar Mansoor on Saturday submitted the reply before the SC in response to the submissions of ECP in a petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi seeking party’s chairman Imran Khan’s disqualification from the National Assembly.
Earlier, the ECP in its reply had stated that the PTI had never disclosed foreign funding in its assets, adding that the declaration submitted before the commission had not contained the source of funds and the party was directed to furnish the source of fund with detail as required under the Form I.
However, alleging the ECP for its partiality towards the party, the PTI in its reply stated that it had not committed fraud or concealed the information rather a written fund raising policy had been publicly announced on its website, adding that all related matters were required to act in accordance with policy laid down by party.
“All funds received by the PTI have been disclosed and it has certificates from all its collecting agents stating that all funds have been collected as per the policy announced by the party and have conformed with the legal requirements of PPO. If the ECP at the time of filing of the Form 1, required this information to satisfy itself it could have done so,” reply stated, adding that the ECP’s reply clearly showed what they intended to do and were sitting with a predetermined mindset. “Moreover political parties have made expenditures more than the funds received yet no action was taken by ECP. Some political parties have money but have not even documented the same,” the reply stated, adding that the PTI was the only political party which had made proper and complete disclosure in the Form 1, certified by the chartered accountant.
“The ECP did not raise any objection on the Form until an outsider, who has had a dispute with the party with ulterior motives, files complaint/case. Peculiarly the ECP ignores the discrepancies in the accounts of all the other political parties and starts open old accounts of PTI only,” the party contended.
“It is submitted that by making this allegation the ECP has become a party in the case and cannot thus hear the same. ECP is sitting with a predetermined mind, getting information which is incorrect from some source due to which they have come to the conclusion that the PTI is acting fraudulently,” it said further.
Published in Daily Times, July 9th , 2017.
