ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Wednesday reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) plea against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ruling in the prohibited funding case.
The ECP had, in August last year, ruled that the party had received “illicit” funds and donations from the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
A larger bench of the IHC — headed by IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and comprising Justice Miangul Hassan and Justice Babar Sattar — heard the case.
Ahead of reserving the verdict, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq remarked that the court exists to make legal decisions and not resolve political matters. He added that the ECP was only supposed to work constitutionally, which was limited to the confiscation of funds.
The IHC has told the election commission that if the party succeeds in proving that its funding was not prohibited, then the ECP would have to take back its August decision.
The PTI had, on August 10 last year, challenged the ECP ruling in the IHC, seeking annulment of the order in the prohibited funding case.
In his petition filed with the IHC, PTI Additional Secretary-General Omar Ayub asked the court to not only nullify the August 2 ruling, but also revoke the ECP’s show-cause notice sent to PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
