Foreign funding case: Scrutiny committee faces challenge in investigations

ISLAMABAD: The scrutiny committee investigating the foreign funding case is facing a major challenge in the high-profile case that is against three major political parties of the country; Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) — to fix responsibility against either of these three parties.

In the previous report that the scrutiny committee submitted to ECP, responsibility was not fixed against anyone, which was the major reason the electoral body rejected the report, it is learnt.

The ECP then tasked the committee to probe thoroughly and fix responsibility if there was concrete evidence of receiving foreign funding against any of the three political parties, it is further learnt.

“If allegations of foreign funding are proved against a political party then it becomes an established fact that the said political party was involved in questionable activities — against the interest of Pakistan — that is something very difficult to prove,” said an ECP official.

The official said the term ‘foreign funding’ should not be mistakenly defined as financial contributions from overseas Pakistanis. “All major political parties have overseas Pakistani supporters and well-wishers who support them through donations and other financial contributions. This is not foreign funding. Foreign funding implies that a political party is receiving financial support from a foreign country or entity to serve its interests in Pakistan,” the source said adding that if a political party justifies that it received donations or contributions from overseas Pakistanis through legal channels then it cannot be proceeded against under any law of Pakistan.

Section 6(3) of Political Parties Order 2002 reads, “Any contribution made, directly or indirectly, by any foreign government, multi-national or domestically-incorporated public or private company, firm, trade or professional association shall be prohibited and the parties may accept contributions and donations only from individuals.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020