Foreign funding case
FOREIGN funding case has been pending since November 2014. Since then, the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Scrutiny Committee has heard the case over 150 times, with PTI seeking adjustment on 54 occasions.
The Scrutiny Committee was formed in March 2018 to scrutinise PTI accounts, but it took almost four years to present its report to the ECP, which was submitted in Dec 2021. The last hearing took place on April 6 , after which the ECP had directed the petitioner, Akbar S Babar, to employ two auditors for the perusal of documents submitted by the PTI. After primarily hearing on the request of PTI Defence Council the next hearing will be held on 18 January.
The report points out that foreign funding is not analogous to funds received from prohibited sources, both domestic and abroad, it makes the distinction that both foreign funding and funds received from prohibited sources are not the same thing but to some extent there is some overlap. According to the report foreign funding collected abroad from legal sources is neither prohibited nor illegal.
The report says that the PTI received funding from foreign nationals and companies, under reported funds, concealed numerous bank accounts and refused to divulge details of large transactions. The fact that the panel struggled to get details of PTI foreign accounts and funds abroad is troubling, given that the PTI has campaigned on the pledge of clean and transparent governance. Also, that the party has dragged its feet to such an extent on the scrutiny of its foreign funds, resisted accountability and concealed accounts contradicts its anti-corruption mantra, which has been repeated for its political support base and nauseams. As per report though there is no explicit allegation of wrong doing in the report, the party resistance during the entire case raises questions.
Transparent disclosers of political finance in our country remain largely un-chatted territory. Though funding is key to political campaigns that aim to influence the governance process. As for as funds go, professionally audited donations and expressions of support from Pakistani nationals may well be legitimate.
But secret funds coming from foreign national companies registered abroad or organisations posing as fronts for influential quarters are illegal. They taint the political process and undermine democracy as it is unknown to members of the public how much money is being paid to parties, by whom and in return for what.
The Election Commission of Pakistan, which is yet to give its final verdict on the report, has to look into it how lasting lessons from the case can be applied across the political spectrum as the country gears up for a general election. It’s my considered opinion that Scrutiny Committee did not focus it mandatory power entrusted as per Article 220 of the Constitution. Due to this Article Scrutiny Committee should take assistance from sensitive institutions to dig out the secret accounts.
In the foreign funding scenario, Prime Minister demanded that the PML-N and PPP accounts be audited too, should be considered. The opposition parties are right to question the PTI resistance in this case, but it would be interesting to see how forthcoming they would be if it came to scrutinising their own campaign accounts.
Across the board transparency is a must as illicit finance cannot be allowed to taint institutions, it encourages parties to complete against each other by over spending to a point where there is no question of a level playing field. Now foreign funding case has opened a new line of fire for PTI.
—The writer is former Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and currently Chairman National Democratic Foundation.
