ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected on Tuesday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s petition to indefinitely postpone the party’s funding case.A four-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza, also asked Imran Khan to file his reply by June 7 during the case hearing.
The petition was filed by an individual identified as Hashim Bhutta. In the petition, Bhutta claimed that Imran Khan had submitted false certificates for the party funding case and that he should be disqualified adding that he had lied before the ECP.
During the hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Shahid Gondal, argued that a similar petition has also been filed by Hanif Abbasi in the Supreme Court. In reply, Bhutta’s lawyer, Advocate Sharafat Chaudhry clarified that the petition filed by Abbasi was different than his client’s.
Chaudhry also added that Supreme Court has not stopped ECP from hearing this case. He claimed that Imran Khan acquired funds for his political party through unfair means.
Imran Khan’s lawyer responded by saying that the concerned certificate had already been submitted verifying that the funds were not illegal.
The bench also asked Imran’s lawyer, “What is the problem in giving us the answer to what we have asked from you?”To which he replied, that a similar reply has been submitted to the Supreme Court.
He then requested the court to postpone the hearing indefinitely. The bench later rejected Imran Khan’s plea and asked for a reply till June 7.
Once a reply has been sought, the commission will deliberate whether to postpone the case indefinitely or not, the ECP court ordered.
