The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday rejected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s application demanding the cross-examination of key witnesses and decided to proceed with the show-cause notice in the foreign funding case.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, resumed the hearing and announced the verdict it reserved on December 20.
The ECP passed the judgement on August 2, 2022, documenting financial fraud and over $7 million of illegal funding, and issued a show cause to the PTI in August 2022 to justify why further legal action should not be taken against it for gross financial irregularities.
However, instead of responding to the show cause, the PTI had filed a fresh application seeking cross-examination of key witnesses.
The electoral body rejected the PTI’s request seeking a cross-examination of the scrutiny committee and the bank officers. Moreover, the objections raised by the party against CEC Raja’s show-cause notice were also dismissed.
During the hearing, the chief election commissioner questioned the progress of the case in the Islamabad High Court. “What was the IHC’s decision?” he asked.
At this, PTI lawyer Nadeem Amjad replied that the IHC had directed the ECP to hear the parties.
CEC Raja remarked that the Election Commission hasn’t been stopped from taking action.
