ECP rejects Imran Khan's request to adjourn party's funding case petition  

ISLAMABAD: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday rejected the request of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan to adjourn petition of the party?s funding case.

A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, during the case hearing also ordered Imran Khan to file his reply by June 7.

The petition was filed by Hashim Bhutta who claimed that Imran Khan should be disqualified from the upcoming elections as the certificates provided by him in his party?s funding case are false.

Bhutta's counsel Sharafat Chaudhry argued that Imran Khan being a party head had submitted a certificate from 2010 to 2015 stating that the PTI had not collected funds through prohibited means. He said there was evidence that PTI funds were collected through prohibited means.

He also remarked that Supreme Court has not stopped ECP from hearing this case. He claimed that Imran Khan acquired funds for his political party through unfair means.

Imran Khan's lawyer Shahid Gondal argued that a similar petition has also been filed by Hanif Abbasi in the Supreme Court. On which, Bhutta?s lawyer Sharafat Chaudhry said that the petition filed by Abbasi is different from that of his client.

Imran Khan lawyer said that he has already submitted a certificate verifying that the funds were not illegal.

The chief election commissioner expressed annoyance over the failure of the PTI chief to submit his reply. The commission said it would consider adjourning the petition sine die once that reply is filed.