The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s counsel has claimed that individuals with dual nationalities were allowed by law to fund political parties as the Election Commission of Pakistan resumed its hearing on the foreign funding case against the party on Tuesday.
A three-member bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja conducted the hearing.
PTI’s counsel Anwar Mansoor objected against the ECP, saying the commission was not fully functional because it was operating without two of its members.
He cited Article 218 of the constitution, which states the formation of a “permanent election commission consisting of a chairman and four members, one from each province”.
He argued that the ECP was not authorized to issue orders until it was fully functional. He said this in reference to the April 12 announcement by the election commission regarding the delimitation schedule for the national and provincial assemblies for the next general polls.
Mansoor said he would conclude his arguments in the case in three days, and told the bench that he had already informed the ECP regarding his unavailability from April 20.
The ECP then adjourned the hearing till next week as it declared that it would hold proceedings for three successive days in the coming week.
Last week, the election commission said that it would hear the case on a daily basis in line with the Islamabad High Court’s order which ordered it to settle the matter within 30 days.
