PDM demands immediate verdict on PTI’s prohibited funding case; full court for Article 63-A’s interpretation
Islamabad: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday reiterated that the coalition government would complete its constitutional term and the next general election would be held on time.
Addressing a press conference along with PDM leaders after chairing a high level meeting, he informed the media about key points of the discussion during the sitting as well as the two resolutions adopted unanimously by the forum.
He said the PDM in one of its resolutions had demanded the Federal Government to send a presidential reference to the apex court to constitute a full court for the interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution.
In the second resolution, he said, the alliance demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan to immediately announce its verdict on the prohibited funding case of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Fazl-ur-Rehman said the meeting had declared that the Constitution of Pakistan clearly defined the domains of three state organs, including the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. “Under the constitution, no institution can interfere in the affairs or perform the responsibility of others,” he added.
The meeting was unanimous that “two different interpretations of Article 63-A came to the fore in the apex court’s verdicts” in the cases related to the National Assembly and Punjab chief minister’s election, which had proved correct the concerns of civil society, legal fraternity, media and political parties, he said.
Maulana Fazl maintained that the apex court’s verdict turning down the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling had not only created “constitutional and political crises” but also led to political instability in the country.
He said the Supreme Court Bar Association and other lawyers organizations across Pakistan, eminent jurists, media and civil society also disagreed with the decision.
The PDM chief said the meeting also demanded that the ECP in accordance with the tenets of law, justice and constitution should announce its decision on the PTI’s prohibited funding case without any further delay.
The delay in the decision was ironic as the irrefutable evidences had been provided by the State Bank of Pakistan, besides the scrutiny committee’s report and the forensic analysis of the PTI’s bank accounts by impartial auditors proved that the party received prohibited funding from abroad.
He alleged that the PTI had concealed dozens of accounts from the Election Commission, in which funds were received from 88 foreign nationals, including citizens of Israel and India, and 350 foreign companies.
Moreover, the party laundered large sums of money through the private accounts of its head office employees, which it had collected from inside and outside the country, he added.
The PTI leaders also submitted false and fake affidavits, certificates and declarations with the ECP to justify the funding, Maulana Fazl maintained.
He said the PDM desired that the law to take its due course in view of the irrefutable evidences, but the ECP seemed to be having “mysterious silence” over the matter.
The proven foreign funding, he claimed, “also raises concerns about the security of a nuclear Pakistan”.
The PDM chief said that inordinate delay in the PTI’s prohibited funding case decision might cause lawlessness in the country as it was giving an impression of “weak institutions”.
Such a situation was not beneficial for any democratic society, and therefore, it was imperative for the ECP to immediate announce the decision for ensuring the rule of law, he stressed.
He said the alliance leaders were convinced that the PTI leader (Imran Khan) made a mockery of the constitution and the law, which reinforced the impression that he considered himself above law.
