Politics

Pakistan election panel says Imran Khan’s party got illegal funds

Islamabad, Aug 2 (EFE).- Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and his party might be barred from politics after the election panel ruled on Tuesday that the cricketer-turned politician had received millions of dollars in illegal donations.

The three-member bench of the election commission has sent a notice to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, asking why it should not seize the illegal money.

The bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja announced the verdict in a case filed in 2014 by Akbar Babar, a party founder and former close aide of Khan.

Babar fell out with Khan before he filed the case.

The verdict was reserved on June 21 and announced Tuesday after the government pressured the election panel.

A PTI spokesperson denied any wrongdoing.

Khan has accused Sultan Raja of being an “ally” of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) PML-N.

A poll panel spokesperson the allegation.

The commission said PTI hid 13 bank accounts, adding that the declaration submitted by Khan about the party finances from 2008 to 2013 was “grossly inaccurate.”

It also declared that PTI received funding from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign companies based in the United States, the UK, and Australia.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted that the verdict meant that Imran had violated the constitution, submitted false affidavits, and accepted foreign money.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the federal government would implement the verdict per the law.

Khan was in power from 2018 until he stepped down after losing a vote of no confidence in April this year.

aa/ssk

Related Articles

Back to top button