ISLAMABAD, August 4: The federal cabinet Thursday approved placing former prime minister Imran Khan’s name in the Exit Control List (ECL). The cabinet also placed the names of other PTI members also on the ECL who have been named in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision.
The move came days after ECP in its unanimous verdict announced that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had received funding from prohibited sources. The cabinet has asked Federal Minister of Law Azam Nazir Tarar to take action in this regard
On Tuesday, a three-member bench of Election Commission of Pakistan headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, comprising Nisar Ahmed Durrani, Shah Muhammad Jatoi in its reserved verdict declared that PTI has received funds from business tycoon Arif Naqvi and 34 foreigners including from the United States.
Unknown accounts also came to light, said the commission in its verdict, adding that hiding accounts was a “violation” of Article 17 of the Constitution. The commission issued show cause notice to the PTI to explain why the commission should not seize the funds it received.
According to the judgment, PTI concealed thirteen accounts from the Election Commission of Pakistan. The ECP also said that former prime minister Imran Khan had submitted misdeclaration in the PTI prohibited funding case.
The case was filed by PTI founding member Akbar S. Babar and was pending since November 14, 2014. Babar had alleged serious financial irregularities in the party’s funding from Pakistan and abroad. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also decided to send a reference to the ECP soon for the disqualification of Imran Khan in Tosha Khana scandal. The reference had been filed by Federal Minister Ayaz Sadiq.
According to the informed sources, Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf took Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari into confidence regarding the reference. The National Assembly speaker approved the reference after consultation with legal and constitutional experts.
“Former prime minister Imran Khan can be disqualified under Article 62 in Tosha Khana scandal,” said legal experts. The National Assembly speaker has given the green signal to send the reference to the ECP in which Imran Khan is accused of acquiring gifts from Tosha Khana and selling them unlawfully. “The reference will be sent to the ECP next week,” said the National Assembly sources.
The federal cabinet has also decided to hand over the investigation of prohibited funding received by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).-DNA
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