ISLAMABAD: Former ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Tuesday, moved a fresh application in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) asking the electoral body not to issue a decision in Foreign Funding Case on the grounds that the matter was subjudice in Islamabad High Court (IHC) and demanding that the Foreign Funding Case related to PTI, PML-N and PPP be decided together.

A three-member ECP bench comprising of Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja and comprising of Nisar Ahmed Durrani and Shah Muhammad Jatoi reserved verdict on the PTI’s application, likely to be announced soon.

Lawyer of Akbar Sher Babar, the petitioner in the case against PTI, requested the ECP bench to reject the PTI’s deferment application. He alleged that the former ruling party was using delaying tactics to keep the case lingering.

The ECP bench stopped the prosecution counsel from giving arguments in the case till PTI’s deferment plea was decided.

Defense lawyer and former attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) Anwar Mansoor Khan said he would conclude his arguments in the case by today. The case was then adjourned till today.

The PTI has repeatedly demanded of the ECP to ensure the completion of probe by the Scrutiny Committee related to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) - and decide together the cases of PTI and these political parties in Foreign Funding Case. However, the scrutiny panel’s investigation related to PML-N and PPP is still incomplete while the electoral body has failed to ensure this probe’s completion at the earliest.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022