No disqualification can be made on prohibited funds under law, CJP Saqib remarks

ISLAMABAD - Supreme Court on Tuesday resumed hearing on a petition seeking disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar, comprising Justice Umar Bandiyal and Justice Faisal Arab heard the case filed by Pakistan Muslime League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi asking the court to disqualify the PTI head and Jahangir Tareen for concealing assets and violating Income Tax Ordinance. He also called the PTI a foreign-funded party.

The court inquired Imran Khan's counsel about objections raised by counsel for Abbasi, Akram Sheikh.

Is it right that US LLC an agent to PTI to collect funds? the chief justice asked. On which Anwar Mansoor said, yes it is.

When chief justice asked that whether prohibited funds should be accepted, Mansoor said that they returned such fund on receiving.

Replying to a question, he said that it was the responsibility of the agent to submit details to Fara, adding that submitted details are present on the website of Fara.

Chief Justice asked why petitioner has a contradictory stance regarding list showed on Fara website.

Mansoor said, “We have details of received funds,” adding that Imran Khan’s certificate was about received funds. Khan filed the certificate on the assurance of the agent.

Chief Justice also said that on which basis Imran Khan should be disqualified.

Akram Sheikh said that PTI could check the website, adding that it is not correct to blame the agent.

The chief justice remarked prohibited funds can be seized under Political Parties Act and the Public Representative Act, adding that no any disqualification can be mader under the law.

Previous Hearing

On Monday, PTI's counsel Anwar Mansoor argued before the court that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had no authority to inquire funds of a political party after they have been audited a chartered accountant.

https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/sc-to-resume-hearing-of-imran-khans-disqualification-case-today/

To which, the bench remarked that every political party is accountable for its source of funding according to Article 17 (3) of the Constitution.

On the other hand, Abbasi's counsel Sheikh Akram called the PTI's funding record inaccurate.

The court observed that allegation that PTI has received funds through prohibited sources need to be investigated thoroughly.