ECP rejects Imran’s plea to indefinitely postpone case
ISLAMABAD (NNI/INP): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition in the party funding case.
During hearing of the case, a four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza, also ordered Imran Khan to file his reply by June 7.
The court was hearing the petition filed by a common man, identified as Hashim Bhutta. In the petition, Bhutta had claimed that Imran Khan should be disqualified from the upcoming elections as the certificates provided by him in his party’s funding case are false and that the leader has lied before the ECP.
Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shahid Gondal, argued that a similar petition has also been filed by Hanif Abbasi in the Supreme Court. To which, Bhutta’s lawyer, Advocate Sharafat Chaudhry said that the petition filed by Abbasi is different from that of his client.
Imran Khan’s lawyer also said that he has already submitted a certificate verifying that the funds were not illegal. Later, the bench announced that it rejects Imran Khan’s plea and ordered the leader till June 7 to submit his reply.
Meanwhile Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday requested the Supreme Court to form a commission to probe the party’s funding case.
During hearing of the case, PTI lawyer Anwar Mansoor argued that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is neither tribunal nor a court to determine collection of funds through prohibited means.