The PTI dissident has filed a petition to become a party to PTI’s challenge against the ECP ruling in the foreign funding case.
By Naveed Naqvi
ISLAMABAD: Akbar S Babar has welcomed the Islamabad High Court move to constitute a larger bench to hear the challenge brought by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the guilty finding of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the prohibited funding case.
The PTI dissident, who brought the complaint that led to the ECP probe into the questionable fundraising practices of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, moved a petition Wednesday in the IHC, seeking to become a party to the case.
A founding PTI member and a former vice-president of the party, Akbar S Babar told Independent Pakistan that he hoped this case would change the politics of Pakistan.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had filed a writ petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the decision of the Election Commission, praying the court to annul the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan in the prohibited funding case.
The petition maintains that the court had ordered the ECP to give a decision on foreign funding of all political parties together, but the Commission has given a decide the case against the PTI to the exclusion of the cases against other parties. The PTI takes the position that the ECP ruling thus violated the order of the court.
The High Court had constituted a larger bench on Tuesday to hear the case. A larger bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Amir Farooq, Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb, and Justice Babar Sattar will hear the case, on August 18.
Talking to Independent Pakistan, Akbar S Babar has said that a larger bench has been constituted in the prohibited funding case, but he has not been made a party to it.
He expressed his belief that being the original complainant, he should be made a party to the challenge brought against the ECP ruling the PTI.
Babar said that there had been repeated attempts to evict him from this case, but his position had been vindicated ultimately when prohibited fundraising had been declared illegal.
He repeated his position that this is the biggest funding scam in the history of Pakistan, and said that Imran Khan had filed several petitions to hide the truth.
The former PTI leader maintained that the Financial Times report proved that funding had been funneled to the PTI via Abraaj.
“The Financial Times story destroys [PTI’s] claims that nothing was hidden”, he said. “Why don’t you file a claim against the Financial Times, when you have great faith in the courts of [the United Kingdom]?”
Babar said PTI is our home, and he had started from his home first, but other parties’ funding was also being investigated.
“Today I have filed an application against the writ petition of PTI”, said Babar. “PTI has approached the courts to cover up its wrongdoings.”
To a question, Akbar S Babar said that [charitable] donations from abroad could be brought to Pakistan, but it is important that they are used for charitable purposes only.
“If the donations are spent for political purposes, it is illegal and falls under the category of money laundering”, he said. “If the Election Commission wants, I am here to assist in [probing] the foreign funding of other parties.
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