LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday issued notices on an intra-court appeal (ICA) of provincial minister for school education Murad Raas, challenging dismissal of his petition by a single bench against a call-up notice of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in ‘prohibited’ funding inquiry against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

The minister, through his counsel, contended the FIA unlawfully took cognizance of the matter relating to the prohibited funding and fake accounts after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued its decision.

He said the inquiry initiated by the FIA was nothing but political victimisation.

The counsel said the single bench dismissed the petition of the appellant without considering facts of the matter.

He asked the division bench to set aside the single bench’s decision and also the impugned notice issued by the FIA to the appellant for being unlawful and based on mala fide.

He also urged the bench to restrain the agency from taking any coercive measure against the appellant till the next hearing.

The division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, however, did not issue any stay order and sought replies from the respondents by Sept 14.

The FIA had initiated the inquiry into the matter pertaining to the ECP order in the PTI ‘prohibited’ funding case. An investigation team was notified just a few days after a three-member ECP bench in a unanimous verdict ruled that the PTI received prohibited funding in the case pending since 2014.

The FIA says the probe is being conducted under Section 6 of the Political Parties Order, 2002.

The agency has issued notices to several leaders of the PTI across the country.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2022