The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in a petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) challenging the ECP’s decision of rejecting the party’s plea to disassociate petitioner Akbar S Babar from the foreign funding case.

A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the PTI’s petition filed through Anwar Mansoor Khan Advocate and Shah Khawar Advocate and cited the ECP and Babar as respondents.

After hearing the preliminary arguments, the IHC bench issued notices to the ECP and Babar and directed them to submit their response in this regard.

In this matter, the PTI also challenged the ECP’s decision which turned down its applications filed on January 25 and January 31. The applications of the PTI asking the ECP of not providing party’s response to Babar on the scrutiny committee report were rejected by the ECP and the party has also challenged this decision and requested the IHC to accept both the applications rejected by the ECP.

It submitted, “Per the application dated 25-1-2022 dismissing the case of Akbar S Babar who had failed to provide authentic evidence and proof seeking thereby, that, on dismissal of the application, he could not be allowed to participate in the proceedings before the Election Commission of Pakistan.”

The petition further said that the second application moved on 31-1-2022 was in relation to restraining the said Akbar S Babar from taking copies of replies of the respondents (PTI) or any other document filed by them. The petition stated that Babar filed a complaint in 2014 stating that the PTI is funded through prohibited funds and therefore, to take appropriate action. It further said, “The complainant is a disgruntled ex-member of PTI and has personal vendetta against PTI and its leaders.”

It said that a three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja decided to reject the petitions. It added that the ECP is only bound to declare funds’ details. It further contended that Babar should be separated from the case and PTI’s reply to the scrutiny committee report should not be given to him for the time being.

Therefore, the party prayed before the court that the order of the ECP dated March 15, 2022, is liable to be dismissed and set aside.

The foreign funding case has been pending in the ECP since November 2014.

The petitions filed in the IHC against the foreign funding case were disposed of as Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani returned the case to the commission on January 29, 2018.

The story was originally published in Business Recorder on March 30, 2022.