ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce a “long-delayed judgement” in the prohibited funding case against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) that thumped the prime minister’s party to clinch 15 out of 20 seats in the by-polls held in Punjab on July 17.

“I urge the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce long-delayed judgement on PTI foreign funding case,” the prime minister tweeted as he referred to the case against PTI with its old name.

PM Sharif, who heads the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), also sought punishment for PTI Chairman Imran Khan in light of his rhetoric against state institutions.

“For long has Imran Niazi been given a free pass despite his repeated & shameless attacks on state institutions,” he said, adding that impunity given to Mr Khan had hurt the country.

Prohibited funding

The case, which was filed by Akbar S Babar, has been pending since Nov 14, 2014. Mr Babar, who was a founding member of the PTI, had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad. The PTI has denied any wrongdoing and maintained the funding is not from prohibited sources.

The ECP had reserved its verdict on the case last month which has not been issued yet. On January 4 this year, the ECP’s scrutiny committee, formed in March 2018 to examine the PTI’s foreign funding in one month, finally submitted its report after 95 hearings and nearly four years.

The report, based on eight volumes of record requisitioned through the State Bank of Pakistan, proved that the PTI leadership had committed gross violations of funding laws by allowing the collection of millions of dollars and billions of rupees without any source and details from foreigners, including Indian nationals and foreign companies.

APP ADDS: In his message on the day of Kashmir’s Accession to Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the oppressive Indian state apparatus had failed to stop the Kashmiris’ journey of resistance, sacrifice, and defiance.

Kashmiris across the globe mark the day on July 19 as a resolution for accession was passed on this historic date in Srinagar.

PM Shehbaz said that after the passage of the resolution for accession to Pakistan, the people of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan launched a big struggle for freedom.

He said Pakistan would continue to extend support to the Kashmiris until the realisation of their dream of holding a plebiscite in accordance with the resolutions of the Untied Nations and as per the aspirations of the people of the occupied valley.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2022