ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday slammed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) asking in what capacity it is issuing a notice to former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“Who has the courage to disqualify Imran? You are not announcing elections because you fear he will win a two-thirds majority,” Fawad said, adding that a campaign was underway against the former premier.
“Do you want to create a one-party system in Pakistan?” he asked.
During the press conference, the ex-minister questioned the summons party leaders received from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), saying they did not hold public office in 2011-12 — the period in which the party purportedly received prohibited funding.
“I do not understand in what capacity FIA is issuing notices to our leaders. These people were not public officeholders in 2011-12,” Chaudhry said at a news conference in Islamabad. “We are, however, cooperating with the FIA.”
The ECP on Friday issued a notice to the ousted prime minister, summoning him for a hearing in compliance with the body’s judgment on the prohibited funding case.
According to the ECP website, a “Notice to Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in terms of Rule 6 of Political Parties Rule 2006, in compliance of judgment by the commission dated August 2 in case title Akbar Sher Babar” was issued. It has been fixed for a hearing at 10am on August 23.
Reacting to the ECP’s ruling in the prohibited funding case against the party, whereby PTI was found to have obtained illegal funds, Chaudhry said that the party received Rs20 million in 13 accounts.
“This amount was released to party officials for office operations. In what capacity is the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) issuing notices to party leaders?” he asked. The FIA kick-started its probe into the party’s accounts on Saturday and summoned notices to various PTI leaders.
Chaudhry said that the party has made preparations for the “final stage” of its ongoing anti-government campaign. “A historic rally will be held on August 13,” he said, adding: “We will not let them run away from [holding] elections.”
Turning his guns on rival party PPP, he said that the PPP’s “account auditors are nowhere to be found” and that it wasn’t the PPP, but rather the PPP parliamentarians that fought the election.
He further said that instead of the party leader, it was the general secretary that submitted the certificate to declare expenses of Rs232 million.
“Money coming from America came directly to Zardari’s account,” he alleged.
“There is no proof of the LLC created by the PPP,” he alleged further.
For the PML-N, he said, “there is no information at all regarding the sources of its funds”.
The PTI leader recalled that the Islamabad High Court had directed the Election Commission to decide on the case of the funding of all parties, but it only issued a verdict on PTI’s funding.
“According to the law, every political party has to be audited. One party cannot fund another party,” he said.
Why is the Election Commission saving PML-N and PPP?” he demanded to know.
The ex-minister further said that the PTI would also launch an investigation into the cases registered against its workers and leaders in Punjab after the ‘Azadi March’.
He said that the team could summon Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, PML-N’s Ataullah Tarar and others. “They expect us to cooperate with the FIA, we expect the same from them.”
