Funding case

The case against the ruling party and their foreign funding in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is being delayed because the scrutiny committee is failing to follow the directives of the ECP. This is one of the few cases that balance out the investigations which have been underway for the last two years – targeting mostly members of opposition parties. Despite the ECP’s order to conduct the hearing against the funding on a daily basis, the proceedings are not taking place in a timely fashion. The scrutiny committee is also refusing to disclose the documents submitted by the respondents and has not shared them with the petitioner either. It also refused to share with the PTI details of the undeclared accounts operated by the party that the committee had received directly from the banks on the directives of the State Bank of Pakistan, and asked the PTI to seek the same from the banks.This buys the investigation ample time because, after December 5, the ECP will be involved in other matters, particularly pertaining to the election of the new Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). The delays favour the ruling party and buys time for the investigation. It is important to investigate in a timely fashion, especially when the ruling party is involved – not only because the law dictates such protocol but also because the ruling party promised no discrimination based on party affiliation, which means that a case against the PTI should also get the same treatment the opposition parties get. The petitioner and PTI founding member Akbar S Ahmad has said that all those hoping or attempting to delay the case one way or another are doing a great “disservice to the country”. Concerns regarding the proceedings should be addressed as soon as possible in order to ensure that nothing provides a cushion to the ruling party due to the power they have assumed in this tenure. Those ruling the country should be held at a higher moral pedestal and scrutinized to ensure that the laws of the country are being upheld.Qazi Jamshed Alam SiddiquiLahore

from The News International - Newspost https://ift.tt/37T2Sa9