ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed the scrutiny committee to submit a report on the progress in examination of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)’s foreign funding within a week.

To a query during the hearing of the plea pertaining to the reference, the director general (law) of the ECP body said he had no idea as to how much time it would take to examine the PTI bank accounts. The ECP directed him to submit a preliminary report within one week and detailed report by the end of June. The hearing has been adjourned till then.

The scrutiny committee was formed in March 2018 to audit the ruling party’s foreign fund accounts.

Also Read: Firdous slams opposition parties stance on PTI’s foreign funding case

On Jan 25, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had filed a plea in the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the verdict of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) declaring Akbar S Babar as his party member in the foreign funding case.

Imran Khan had said Akbar S Babar, a founding member of the party, had no association with the PTI since 2011. He had said an email in which Akbar Babar announced to dissociate with the party was on the record.

He had argued that the high court could not announce a verdict based on controversial facts. He had also challenged jurisdiction of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) saying that the commission had no authority to hear the case of Akbar S Babar as he was not an affectee of the PTI foreign funding. He had said Babar’s appearing before the scrutiny committee was also in violation of the law.