The Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected a plea by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party that sought to adjourn the foreign funding case against it.
The election commission held a hearing of the case against the PTI on Tuesday. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said the case had already been sub judice for the previous seven years and the party had been seeking delays repeatedly.
Lawyer for PTI, Anwar Mansoor, did not appear before the court. His assistant lawyer informed the commission that Mansoor had been suffering from high fever and was unable to attend the hearing.
CEC Raja said that Mansoor said he couldn’t attend the last hearing as he claimed that he was going overseas but was still in Karachi. He told PTI’s assistant lawyer than no more delays would be granted to the ruling party. The lawyer replied that the party had presented its reply on the scrutiny committee report.
The ECP adjourned the hearing till March 17.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb Tuesday assailed PTI for receiving foreign funding and allegedly engaging in money-laundering from 2008 to 2013. Speaking with media in Islamabad, Aurangzeb said that PTI had claimed to seek accountability of others for 40 years, but when its own turn came, it was not ready.
