The State Bank of Pakistan on Thursday categorically denies a report relating to the bank accounts of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The SBP neither maintains the database of banks' individual accountholders nor possesses any related information/record thereof. Banks being the custodian of customers' information may directly provide this information to various agencies, on case-to-case basis, as per procedure laid down under the respective laws. Therefore, it is out of question that the SBP has reported 18 undeclared bank accounts of PTI out of total 26 to the ECP as reported by a English language newspaper.
In fact, during July 2018, the ECP approached the SBP for assistance to obtain the bank accounts related information of PTI from 2009 to 2013 as per the Commission's mandate enshrined in the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Election Act, 2017. The SBP while discharging of its duties advised all banks to provide the required information/data directly to the ECP by due date, as per the procedure laid down under the law. -PR