Manual perusal of PTI documents begins

ISLAMABAD: Finally, the manual perusal of PTI documents began here Thursday, whereas the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was yet to decide on an application, challenging the decision of the scrutiny committee to disallow the use of laptops/computers during the perusal process.

The scrutiny committee had met two days back but could not proceed, as PTI objected to the use of laptops by the petitioner Akbar S Babar’s chartered accountants. Initially, the process went on but after objection by PTI, the use of laptops was disallowed.

The two chartered accountants, allowed by ECP on behalf of the petitioner, conducted the manual perusal of the first set of PTI documents. They are neither allowed to make copies of the documents nor allowed to make photos as the cell phones are deposited before conducting scrutiny.

While, the ECP in its order of April 14, 2021 had authorised two financial analysts/chartered accountants to scrutinise PTI accounts on behalf of the petitioner. Needless to say, the perusal of PTI documents was meant to commence on April 27, 2021, however, it was suspended as the PTI objected to the use of laptops by the two chartered accountants/financial experts, nominated by the petitioner as per the ECP order.

However, no decision was made by the ECP Thursday on the petitioner's application to direct the scrutiny committee to allow usage of laptops for scrutiny of PTI accounts. Already, in his application, Babar has alleged bias of the committee headed by DG (Law) by doing everything in its power to derail the perusal process and justify three year long delay of the scrutiny process.

The scrutiny committee will meet now on May 3, 2021. Talking to the media, Babar charged that the delay in concluding the case allowed a leadership to emerge that was neither serious nor competent to govern the country.

He said Imran Khan gained the confidence of the people by quoting Western democratic values. “Today PM Imran Khan is being accused by a former head of a security agency of using his office to conspire against a sitting judge of the Supreme Court and opposition leaders. Such an accusation by a responsible former head of a security agency been made in the West, the PM would have resigned, a high level inquiry would have been ordered and the party in power would have started the process of electing a new leader,” he noted.