The court had reserved its verdict last month. In August 2022, the ECP issued a show-cause notice to the party in the prohibited funding case. The PTI had challenged the notice in the IHC.
Today, the court announced a short order in the case. A detailed verdict will be announced later.
In August 2022, the ECP issued a show-cause notice to the PTI after finding out that the party had secured funding from prohibited sources. Later, the PTI challenged the notice in the IHC.
A three-member bench of the IHC — comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Miangul Hassan and Justice Babar Sattar — had reserved the verdict on January 11.
It is pertinent to mention here that on August 2, 2022, the ECP announced a verdict that the PTI received prohibited funding. 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 ECP found that donations were taken from foreign nationals belonging to various countries including America, Australia, Canada, India and the UAE.
The party had also received funding from companies, which is prohibited under election laws.
In the verdict, the ECP said that 13 unidentified accounts also came to light, adding that hiding accounts were a “violation” of Article 17 of the Constitution.
Read also: FIA Lodges FIR Against PTI Chief Imran Khan Over Prohibited Funds
On October 11, 2022, The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) lodged an FIR against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in connection with prohibited funding.
The aforementioned FIR has been lodged at the agency’s Banking Circle Police Station. Now-defunct Abraaj Group had transferred $210,000 to the PTI, according to the FIR. The sum was transferred to a party account at the branch of a bank located at Jinnah Avenue in Islamabad. Funds were also transferred to the PTI from Wootton Cricket.
The club was also presided over by Abraaj founder Arif Naqvi. The Abraaj Group, now in liquidation following accusations of fraud, was spearheaded by Pakistani businessman Naqvi. The private equity firm’s interests spanned continents from its base in the UAE emirate of Dubai.