ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday announced the verdict of PTI’s foreign funding case stating that the former prime minister Imran Khan’s party received funds from “illicit sources”.
In its verdict, the ECP has named numerous individuals and companies – of foreign origins – for having funded the party.
Names of individuals who have sent funds to Khan’s PTI include Inder Dosanjh, Viral Lal, Michael Lane, Saima Ashraf, Murtaza Lokhandwala, Abu Bakr Wakil, Chiranjit Singh, Varsha Lathra, and others, Urdu News reported.
However, an Indian-American businesswoman named Romita Shetty remains a trending topic on social media.
The ECP, among details regarding funds by other individuals, has also shared specifics about Shetty in its decision. The written verdict mentions Singapore in brackets against the businesswoman's name, referring to the location of funding received from.
On page 67 of the written order, the ECP states that the PTI is also a beneficiary of the donation received from Romita Shetty, who is an American businesswoman of Indian origin.
The ECP further mentions that Shetty sent $13,750 worth of funds to Khan’s PTI, which falls in the category of illicit funding and a violation of Pakistan’s Law.
Taking to Twitter to share a snapshot of the written verdict, senior journalist Hamid Mir wrote, “Mrs Romita Shetty an Indian national sent funds to PTI from Singapore.”
This was not the first time Romita Shetty’s name has surfaced in Pakistani media. According to The News, her name was earlier published in a story by our correspondent Fakhar Durrani.
Shetty is the managing director of DiMaio Ahmad Capital LLL (DA Capital) and the wife of a Pakistani-American businessman Nasir Aziz Ahmed, according to Bloomberg.
According to Aziz’s profile published on Bloomberg, he is the managing partner of DA Capital. The company is known to advise its clients regarding investments and economic planning, among other matters.
The company’s website mentions that its office is located in New York, United States.
Shetty is also a member of the advisory committee of Columbia University’s Global Thought department.
Her profile on the university’s website mentions her as the managing director of DA Capital. She has 27 years of work experience in the field of economics.
Earlier, the businesswoman was president of DA Capital. From 2007 to 2008, she worked for Lehman Brothers, an American investment company.
DA Capital’s own website mentions Shetty’s educational credentials. She completed her BA Honors from St Stephen's College in the Indian capital New Delhi. Later, she obtained an MA in International Relations degree from Columbia University.
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