Scrutiny committee's report has exposed real face of 'tabdeeli': Maryam Nawaz

Maryam Nawaz lambasts PM Imran

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz said on Thursday lambasted Prime Minister Imran Khan over irregularities found in the Scrutiny Committee formed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to probe the foreign funding case against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Thursday, she said that the report of the Scrutiny Committee formed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has exposed the prime minister.

The PML-N vice president said that no such evidence has ever come to light against any leader and alleged that PM Imran Khan had also threatened the officials not to release the report.

Maryam also accused the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of using delaying tactics for the past seven years.

She went on to say that according to the SBP, there were 26 foreign accounts of the PTI and out of 26 accounts, 18 were active, while out of 18 PTI had declared only four accounts to the ECP.

“PTI received funding from Middle East, Australia, Canada and England,” she said and added whatever happened was done on Imran Khan’s directions.” “Imran Khan lied to the ECP and deliberately hid the facts.”

Further taking a jibe at the PM, he said that Imran Khan in his tweet had welcomed the Election Commission’s report. She said, "PM Imran Khan kept on running away for seven years. and then when you knew that it has become unavoidable, that the people will ask ECP questions, you tried to prevent the release of the report by pressuring them," she said.

"You tell your party to highlight the  brand  Imran Khan. Your brand is that you are incompetent, unqualified, corrupt, a liar, conspiratorial, a looter, [and that you are behind] mind-boggling inflation, economic devastation, unemployment and guilty of illegal foreign funding." "This brand now lies exposed before eveyone," she said, adding that now he will "no longer get a chance to hide".

Report

On Tuesday, a report compiled by the scrutiny committee of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said PTI had received funding from foreign nationals and companies, underreported funds and concealed dozens of bank accounts.

The report emerged as the ECP resumed hearing of what has come to be called the “foreign funding case” against the PTI, which was filed in November 2014 by Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of the party, and pertains to allegations the party received funds from dubious, prohibited, illegal and undeclared sources.

In 2017, Pakistan’s apex court ruled that political parties could not receive funds from foreign companies. Since 2014, the ECP and its Scrutiny Committee have heard the foreign funding case over 150 times, with PTI seeking adjournment on 54 occasions.

“I welcome ECP’s scrutiny of PTI’s funding through donations from Overseas Pakistanis,” Khan said on Twitter. “The more our accounts are scrutinized the more factual clarity will emerge for nation to see how PTI is the only political party with proper donor base premised on proper political fundraising.”

PM welcomes scrutiny of PTI s foreign funding

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had welcomed the report released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Scrutiny Committee.

I look forward to seeing similar ECP scrutiny on funding of 2 other major pol parties - PPP & PMLN. This will allow nation to see difference between proper pol fundraising & extortion of money from crony capitalists & vested interests in exchange for favours at nation s expense.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 5, 2022

In a tweet, the prime minister said: "I welcome ECP s scrutiny of PTI s funding through donations from overseas Pakistanis. The more our accounts are scrutinised the more factual clarity will emerge for nation to see how the PTI is the only political party with proper donor base premised on proper political fundraising.

"I look forward to seeing similar ECP scrutiny on funding of two other major political parties – the Pakistan People s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). This will allow nation to see difference between proper political fundraising and extortion of money from crony capitalists and vested interests in exchange for favours at nation s expense."