ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan, in a unanimous verdict on Tuesday, said it has found that the PTI received prohibited funding.
The commission found that 34 foreign donations were taken in fundraising. The donations were taken from America, Australia, and the UAE.
In addition, PTI took funds from an American businessman, the ECP said.
Unknown accounts have also come to light, said the commission in its verdict, adding that hiding accounts is a “violation of the Constitution”.
Moreover, it found that PTI Chairman Imran Khan submitted a false Nomination Form I.
The case was earlier referred to as the “foreign funding” case, but later the election commission accepted the PTI’s plea to refer to it as the “prohibited funding” case.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had reserved its verdict in the prohibited funding case — previously referred to as the foreign funding case — after the conclusion of arguments from both sides of the case on June 21.
The case was filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar and was pending since November 14, 2014. Babar had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad.
In March 2018, a scrutiny committee was constituted to examine the PTI s financing. The committee submitted its report on January 4, after 95 hearings and nearly four years.
According to the report, PTI did not disclose banks accounts of two banks during 2008-2009 as only 12 out of 77 accounts were revealed and the cash receipts provided by the audit firm also did not correspond to the bank accounts.
The report further said that during a period of five years the PTI hid funds worth 320 million rupees.
