ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday set aside the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to examine audited accounts of PTI against allegations of receiving foreign funding. A divisional bench comprising of Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi and Justice Aamir Farooq resumed and also remanded the case filed by Imran Khan.
The bench remanded the case after hearing the litigants who raised three legal points on the decision of ECP and directed the commission to decide the case on merit after hearing all parties.
The points raised by the litigants were, locus standi of the applicant before the ECP, jurisdiction of the ECP to hear these type of applications, and the authority of examining the audited accounts of a party.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) approached the IHC, challenging the ECP’s decision to examine audited accounts of PTI against the allegations of receiving foreign funding.Anwar Mansoor, counsel for PTI, claimed that the ECP had no jurisdiction to entertain such applications.Separately, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has adjourned the hearing of disqualification references against PTI
Chairman Imran Khan and Secretary General Jahangir Tareen until February 22nd due to the absence of PML-N’s lawyer. All members, including the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) expressed their displeasure over seeking an adjournment of the hearing of the case repeatedly by the government and stated that if the government counsel, Akram Sheikh, does not appear before the court, then the decision of the case will be announced regardless in his absence on February 22nd. The hearing of disqualification reference cases was conducted by the five-member bench headed by CEC Sardar Raza Khan.
