PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed on Wednesday that the ECP verdict in the prohibited funding case was changed upon the ‘request’ of the law minister.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Fawad talked about the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict, claiming that the government was overjoyed with the outcome.
In an attempt to take a jibe at the coalition government, the PTI leader said that the, “PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] held 12 press conferences yesterday (Tuesday) and are holding them since this morning as well.”
He further said that the Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja delivered the judgment under urgency, as requested by the PDM leaders in the meeting held prior to the verdict. The PTI went on to question how the chief election commissioner was authorized to have meetings amidst a pending case. “The PTI will protest against this tomorrow (today). The ECP has no right to send references to the government,” he said, adding that the verdict was altered upon the request of the law minister.Fawad also shared that a reference had been filed against the chief election commissioner and the Sindh members, as he questioned how they were allowed to sign the verdict.
“We will challenge this decision. The PTI and Imran Khan cannot be barred,” he added. Fawad said the government can give a declaration to the Supreme Court, on the basis of verified evidence, that PTI is a foreign aided party and if the apex court upholds this declaration, “the party will stand dissolved”. Fawad said a reference had been filed against Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and that the party will appeal against the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision, which he declared in contravention to the law and the Constitution. A day earlier, the ECP in a unanimous verdict, ruled that the PTI received funds from “prohibited” sources.
The PTI leader also announced a protest outside the ECP office. He alleged that parties part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance had “met the chief election commissioner” before the verdict was announced. ‘PTI foreign aided party’ Chaudhry said Imran had a huge public following. No one should think of “sidelining him from mainstream politics,” he said.
He claimed the government was “running away” from elections as it feared defeat at the hands of the PTI. He said the party would soon demand the government to seek a vote of confidence from parliament. “We are deliberating upon the date for it,” he added. Fawad accused the government of running a campaign against overseas Pakistanis aiming to “label them as non-Pakistanis” just because they support the PTI. He said overseas Pakistanis were outraged by the ECP’s verdict and were now sending more donations than ever.
The ex-minister pointed out that Article 15 of the Elections Act outlined the process for dissolving a political party. However, he added that the ECP had no authority to take such a step. He regretted that the ECP was being used as a “tool” by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). He also lamented the fact that the ECP did not seek an explanation from the PTI about the individuals funding the party and declared them to be “non-Pakistanis and foreigners” without conducting a fact-check. “One of the people included was Romita Shetty, an American. She shares a joint bank account with her husband, Nasir Hussain.
