Foreign funding: PDM hands over memoto CEC

ISLAMABAD: The leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) handed over a memorandum to Chief Election Commission (CEC) Sultan Sikandar Raja at his office here on Wednesday. The CEC assured the PDM delegation that the case on foreign funding would be decided soon and on merit. Talking to newsmen after handing over the memorandum, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said Imran Khan would be disqualified within 24 hours once the ECP decides the foreign funding case. Former Prime Minister Raja Parvaiz Ashraf and other PDM leaders were present on the occasion.

Ahsan hoped the ECP would decide the case in a transparent way. “The PTI is also filing a case against the PML-N and the PPP but once the case against the PTI is decided, Imran Khan will be disqualified in 24 hours,” he said, adding that the case was the biggest scandal in the country’s political history. He said the political party not only obtained funds from prohibited sources including foreign citizens and lobbies but also indulged in money laundering. He said now the party itself has confessed to wrongdoing, but has put the blame on its agents. He said under the contract law of Pakistan, the principal is responsible for the acts of his agents.

He came hard on Prime Minister Imran Khan over his accusation that the opposition is receiving funds from two foreign countries. “Imran Khan should either present proof to the Supreme Court and file a reference for ban on the parties concerned or apologise to the nation,” he said.

Raja Parvaiz Ashraf said a transparent decision of the foreign funding case would help the ECP restore its blotted reputation. He said the failure to conduct fair elections is the basic reason for the problems confronting Pakistan.

Through the memorandum, the PDM leadership pointed out that the PTI in a correspondence with the ECP in January 2021 had already confessed to receiving foreign funding while the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) had provided solid evidence with documents to the commission. “In view of these facts, there is no need for further investigations in the case,” the memorandum said.

The PDM demanded that the ECP should keep all proceedings open to PDM leaders and media. Drawing attention of the ECP to life threats being given to the petitioner, Akbar S Babar, the PDM demanded issuance of directives for provision of proper security to him till the announcement of the verdict. The memorandum said: “If any harm is caused to the petitioner, the responsibility shall lie with Imran Khan.”

The PDM observed that the issue of the country’s security and sovereignty which involves foreign funding from enemies like India and Israel should not be prolonged. “Causing delay in announcement of decision in such a sensitive case while ensuring transparency reflects deviation on part of the ECP from its constitutional duties,” the memorandum said.

The memorandum bore signatures of PDM leaders including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Sajid Mir and Owais Noorani.