<“Former Prime Minister can be disqualified under Article 62 in Tosha Khana scandal: legal experts>
<Govt decides to send declaration against PTI to SC>
The federal cabinet Thursday approved placing former prime minister Imran Khan’s name in the Exit Control List (ECL),
The cabinet also placed the names of other PTI members also on the ECL who have been named in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision.
The move came days after ECP in its unanimous verdict announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had received funding from prohibited sources.
The cabinet has asked Federal Minister of Law Azam Nazir Tarar to take action in this regard
On Tuesday, a three-member bench of Election Commission of Pakistan headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi in its reserved verdict declared that PTI has received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and 34 foreigners including from the United States.
Unknown accounts also came to light, said the commission in its verdict, adding that hiding accounts was a “violation” of Article 17 of the Constitution. The commission issued show cause notice to the PTI to explain why the commission should not seize the funds it received.
According to the judgment, PTI concealed thirteen accounts from the Election Commission of Pakistan. The ECP also said that former prime minister Imran Khan had submitted misdeclaration in the PTI prohibited funding case.
The case was filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar and was pending since November 14, 2014. Babar had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad.
National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also decided to send a reference to the ECP soon for the disqualification of Imran Khan in Tosha Khana scandal. The reference had been filed by Federal Minister Ayaz Sadiq.
Meanwhile Following the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) verdict on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prohibited funding case, the incumbent government has decided to send a declaration against the PTI to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
In a press conference after the federal cabinet meeting, Minister for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb said that after the consultation with legal time the government has decided to take action against the PTI leadership under Articles 2, 6, 15 and 17 of the Political Party Order 2002, adding that PTI has been declared as a party receiving foreign aid, and now the government is bound to send a declaration against the PTI to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
“This is a matter of law and order, not political rivalries. Sixteen accounts were not declared which were opened in the name of senior leadership, including Imran Khan. Money kept coming in the name of Imran Khan’s employees and was not declared, according to the verdict,” she added.
Meanwhile, the minister said that another important decision that was taken in the cabinet meeting was that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will be given the task of investigating the funding case.
