Where does Imran stand now ?
HONESTY or truthfulness is a facet of moral character that connotes positive and virtuous attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, including straightforwardness of conduct, along with the absence of lying, cheating and theft .
Honesty also involves being trustworthy, loyal, fair and sincere. In developed and developing countries majority of the politicians are honest and trustworthy.
While in countries like ours majority of the politicians are dishonest and unreliable. In our country politicians have proved themselves dishonest.
Imran Khan portrayed himself as honest, truthful and trustworthy but during his rule like other politicians he proved himself otherwise.
The recent verdict of Election Commission fo Pakistan (ECP) reflects dishonesty of Imran Khan.
Now the question arises, to whom the nation should trust upon? Recently, three-member ECP bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja announced the verdict in a case filed by PTI founder member Akbar S Babar which had been pending since 14 November 2014.
The ECP verdict was reserved on 21 June 2022. After eight long years, the Election Commission, in a unanimous verdict has ruled that the PTI undoubtedly received prohibited funding and issued a notice to the party asking why the funds should not be confiscated.
Is mere confiscation of the illegal funds enough as a punishment? Should not the courts disqualify Chairman PTI Imran Khan?
The Election Commission has found PTI guilty in foreign funding scandal. The party has received funding from prohibited sources.
It got funds from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign-based companies. The PTI took ownership of eight accounts but kept 13 hidden and failed to mention three.
Notice is issued to PTI to explain why funds shouldn’t be confiscated. Form-1 submitted by Imran Khan was found grossly inaccurate.
In the written verdict the commission noted that the Party knowingly and willfully received funding from Wootton Cricket Limited, operated by business tycoon Arif Naqvi.
The party was a willing recipient of prohibited money of $2,121,500. The PTI received donations through PTI Canada Corporation and PTI UK Public Limited Company.
From both the companies, the amounts received into its accounts of PTI Pakistan are hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf knowingly and wilfully also received donations from Bristol Engineering Services (a UAE-based company), E-Planet Trustees (a Cayman Islands private registered company), SS Marketing Manchester (a UK-based private company), PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975 which were hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws.
The party also received donations from Australia-based company Dunpec Limited and Pakistani companies Anwar Brothers, Zain Cotton and Young Sports which was again in violation of the law.
The PTI had been found to be a beneficiary of donations made by Romita Shetty, a US-based business woman of Indian-origin which was in violation of the law.
The PTI Pakistan, through fundraising campaigns by PTI USA LLC-6160 and PTI USA LLC-5975, was a recipient of donations from 34 foreign nationals and 351 foreign-based companies.
Collection of donations and contributions from foreign nationals and companies are hit by prohibition and in violation of Pakistani laws.
The PTI failed to mention three accounts which were also being operated by the party’s senior leadership.
Non-disclosure and concealment of 16 bank accounts by the PTI is a serious lapse on part of the PTI’s leadership and in violation of Article 17(3) of the Constitution.
The PTI had only owned eight accounts before the Commission and declared 13 accounts to be unknown.
The data obtained from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reveals that all the 13 accounts disowned by the PTI were opened and operated by senior PTI management and leadership at central and provincial levels.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan submitted Form-I for five years between 2008 -13 which was found to be grossly inaccurate on the basis of the financial statements obtained by the ECP from SBP and other material available on record.
According to the Article 17(3) every political party shall account for the source of its funds in accordance with the law.
According to the Article 6(3) any contribution made, directly or indirectly, by any foreign government, multinational or domestically incorporated public or private company, firm, trade or professional association shall be prohibited and the parties may accept contributions and donations only from individuals.
The matter falls within the ambit of Article 6(3) of Political Parties Order 2002.
A notice is issued to the respondent party in terms of Rule 6 of the PPO as to why the aforementioned prohibited funds may not be confiscated.
The office is also directed to initiate any other action under the law in the light of this order of the Commission, including forwarding the case to the federal government.
For five successive years, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan has submitted Form-I and signed a certificate which is not consistent with the accounting information.
It was constrained to hold that Imran Khan failed to discharge his obligations as mandated under the Pakistani statutes.
The PTI Chairman Imran Khan, for five years under review, has filed submissions that were grossly inaccurate and wrong.
Even during the course of scrutiny and hearing by the ECP, the PTI continued to conceal and withhold complete disclosure of the source of its funds.
Our rulers often think that lies breed contempt and guilt, but they do much more.
They foster relationships, build trust, destroy social networks, create social networks, make people more creative, and influence how often other people lie.
Will the Supreme Court sentence him for life time disqualification like former premier Nawaz Sharif?
Will he accept decision of the honourable Court? Post ECP verdict about foreign funding scandal what will be the fate of PTI and Imran Khan? Where do Imran Khan and PTI stand now?
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
