Probe sought into PTI’S foreign bank accounts
ISLAMABAD: The estranged leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) Akbar S. Babar has urged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to conduct an inquiry into the party’s alleged “secret” bank accounts abroad.
In a leter to Naqvi, a copy of which was also sent to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Babar recalled the years-long prohibited funding case against the PTI, in which the ECP ruled that the party did indeed receive prohibited funding.
He quoted details from the ECP order, including “private bank accounts of PTI employees illegally used to collect donations” and “grossly inaccurate and wrong” filing of signed certificates by expremier and PTI founder chairman Imran Khan.
“There is a need to pursue with full vigour all instances of violations of law documented in the ECP of Aug.2, 2022,” Babar said.
The leter mentioned seven foreign bank accounts “identified” during the proceedings of the case and “admited by PTI” — three Bank of America accounts, one in Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, one in Australia and New Zealand Banking Group and two in Lloyds Bank. It further said three sources of funding were revealed — from PTI Finland, PTI Norway and Insaf New Zealand.
Terming “illegal funding of political parties” as a mater of national security, Babar urged the interior minister to “seek details of all PTI international bank accounts maintained abroad through the Mutual Legal Assistance arrangements” and to take action against the perpetrators.
Babar was also the petitioner before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the PTI in the prohibited funding case.
Separately, the ECP will conclude on Tuesday the scrutiny of the nomination papers filed by the aspirants for the Senate seats.
A total of 135 aspirants have submited the nomination papers for 48 seats of the Senate for which elections will be held on April 2.
The overall candidatures suggest that ater the new senators become its members early next month, the Senate will witness stormy proceedings in future. The House will be a real test for the new Senate chairman and many foresee the coolheaded and sot-spoken Yusuf Raza Gilani as the fresh custodian of the upper house of parliament.
The maximum 42 nominations have been filed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), followed by 36 in Balochistan, 35 in Sindh and 22 in Punjab. This time, there will be no voting for the erstwhile tribal areas, as it is now part of KP under the 25th Constitutional Amendment.