Setback for Imran Khan, party loses case against foreign funding accusation

PTI received illegal finances and must explain itself, says Election Commission

Opposition leader Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) received illegal funding and should explain why its finances should not be confiscated, said the country’s election commission on Tuesday.

A three-member bench of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced its verdict in a case filed by PTI founding member Akbar S Babar in November 2014.

PTI "knowingly and willingly" received funding from Wootton Cricket Ltd, which was operated by the now-jailed business tycoon Arif Naqvi. It was a "willing recipient" of $2,121,500, said the ECP. UAE-based Bristol Engineering Services, Cayman Island-registered E-Planet Trustees, Australia-based Dunpec Limited, UK-based SS Marketing Manchester and a US-based businesswoman Romita Shetty of Indian origin are foreign companies that donated to the party.

The ECP said the party violated a constitutional law prohibiting foreign funding, as it failed to declare three bank accounts operated by senior leadership. It was “constrained to hold that Imran Khan failed to discharge his obligations as mandated under the Pakistani statutes”.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhary told the Pakistani media said that he “don’t understand why the PML-N, the JUI and the PPP have declared overseas Pakistanis the enemy. We consider overseas Pakistanis to be the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and will continue to rely on them for our funding”, referring to rival political grops.

However, many believe that the decision in the eight-year-old case, which had been lingering till now is the culmination of the fallout that former PM Imran Khan had with the Pakistani army. Earlier this year, Imran was removed in a vote of no- confidence motion in Parliament as he lost support of his coalition partners, making him 22nd PM of the country, who couldn’t complete his tenure.

Take a look at a list of other Prime Ministers who have their jobs cut short.  

Liaquat Ali Khan (15 August 1947 – 16 October 1951)

Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan took office on 15th August 1947. His period was marked by a struggling democracy trying to impose itself on Pakistan’s landscape. His period in fact laid the groundwork for both the creation of a religious polity and the civil-military imbalance that defines Pakistan today. Indian military intervention in Hyderabad and Kashmir led the Pakistani establishment harbour existential fears against India and this led Pakistan to divert its scarce resources to the military and entrenching itself firmly in the American camp.

Pakistan’s first tryst with democracy came to an ignominious end on 16 October 1951, when PM Khan was shot dead in Rawalpindi by assassin Said Akbar.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (14th August 1973 - 5th July 1977)

After the debacle in the 1971 war, Pakistani army which has been upholding the martial law for a decade found itself in trouble. This was perhaps the best time for civilian politicians and democracy to find roots and assert themselves over the military. Bhutto resigned from the President's post to assume the PM Office under the newly promulgated 1973 Constitution that established the parliamentary system of government in the country. With Shimla agreement in place, Bhutto tried working on his socialist mandate and nationalised many industries and initiated land reforms. This irked the army and, in a coup, led by Army Chief General Zia-ul-Haq, Bhutto was removed from office and executed shortly after. General Zia enforced martial law in Pakistan in 1977.  

Benazir Bhutto

After General Zia's death in a plane crash, Benazir made a remarkable return to Pakistan in 1988 elections. She was the first women PM of Pakistan and the daughter of Zulfikar Bhutto. The eighth amendment passed by General Zia in 1985 had given unbridled powers to the President and it paved the way for President Ghulam Ishaq Khan’s dismissal of Benazir’s government in 1990. She returned to power in the 1993 elections, but again fell victim to the eighth amendment as her government was dismissed by President in 1996. After General Musharraf again imposed military rule in 1999, she went into exile. Upon her return in 2007 to contest the upcoming elections, she was assassinated by Pakistan Taliban.

Nawaz Sharif

Like the earlier PMs, Sharif's career in Pakistani political system also has been that of a roller coaster ride. The 1990 elections saw Nawaz Sharif becoming PM, but his first tenure too was cut short when the military forced both him and the President Ghulam Khan to resign in 1993. Sharif again came to power in 1996. This time, Sharif passed the Thirteenth amendment that limited the President’s powers and finally gave breathing space to civilian rule. Nawaz, however, triggered inter-institutional conflict when his supporters first led a raid on the Supreme Court in 1997 and later tried to remove army chief Pervez Musharraf. After the humiliation in Kargil, General Musharraf led the coup and proclaimed military rule and exiled Sharif.  Upon his return in 2007, he again contested elections, but couldn’t lead his party to victory. Post 2013 general elections, Nawaz was sworn in for an unprecedented third term as prime minister on 7 June 2013. However, he still couldn’t complete the full term and was forced to resign in 2017 on grave corruption charges.

Many believe that his ouster was staged by the army, which now seem to have given upon its tactics of taking direct control and, instead supports rival politicians, thus maintaining its hold over the country's politics. The current decision by the ECP is being seen by many as the continuation of the army's interest in Pakistan's polity.