ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of PTI foreign funding case to Feb 9 after PTI lawyer Anwar Mansoor Khan sought an adjournment on his health grounds.

Mr Khan told the bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, that he was ill and could not argue the case.

The petitioner and PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar’s lawyer Syed Ahmad Hassan Shah complained about the delay in sharing documents kept secret by the scrutiny committee despite clear instructions of the ECP on January 18. He said that despite the application seeking documents filed on Jan 20, the DG of Law allowed sharing of documents on Jan 31.

Mr Shah said that such delays by DG of Law were endemic during the scrutiny process.

The CEC then asked the petitioner to narrate the matter. Mr Babar then complained of undue delays in accessing the documents on the scheduled date of January 31.

The CEC then announced that from now on the ECP secretary would be responsible for all the documents related to the case.

The petitioner’s lawyer, Syed Ahmad Hassan Shah, wanted to commence arguing the case with regard to the scrutiny committee’s report shared on Jan 4 with the petitioner.

Before he could do so, the CEC deferred arguments on the request of the PTI lawyer who requested an adjournment of the case on the ground of his ill health.

Talking to reporters outside the ECP, Mr Babar welcomed the ECP move to end secrecy in the case, adding that such decisions would bring transparency and allow facts to emerge.

He said the case would be a turning point in the country’s history as it would be a giant leap to institutionalise political parties which were real nurseries of the leadership, if regulated under the law.

Mr Babar criticised PM Imran Khan for breaching the trust of the people, adding that the Transparency International report rating Pakistan among the most corrupt countries of the world was an indictment against the PM and his government.

In reply to a question about PTI’s new application seeking removal of PM from the scrutiny process, he said the demand was a reflection of the panic that has set in PTI’s ranks after the ECP decision to end secrecy.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2022