ISLAMABAD, Jul 28 (APP): Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah on Thursday demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the much delayed decision in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) foreign funding case at the earliest.
“The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and its all coalition government partners demand that the ECP should announce its reserved verdict in the PTI’s foreign funding case immediately,” he told a press conference.
The minister said during the last eight years, the PTI adopted different ways to impede the proceedings of foreign funding case. It had even filed nine petitions in the IHC to get the case quashed.
Now the ECP had reserved the decision some eight weeks ago,and it was astonishing why it was not being announced. What was the hurdle in its way, he questioned.
Rana Sana said it had been proved that some 350 foreigners and foreign companies had funded the PTI, and even Indian and Israeli people had also sent funds into the party accounts, he said.
He said an amount of $ 750 million was received in the PTI accounts, opened in the names of its members Amir Kiyani, Dr Humayun etc, who should be arrested for being involved in money laundering.
He said the ECP should not only announce the decision but also take action against the PTI keeping in view the facts.
The minister said that former prime minister Imran Khan was misleading the nation through ‘lies and baseless propaganda’. The PML-N had secured total 10.28 million votes during the last general election while the total votes of all the coalition government partners were over 25.5 million, he added.
As regards the PTI’s demand for early general election, Rana Sana said Imran Khan should first dissolve the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies and then ask the coalition government at the Centre to do so. The PTI chief was, in fact, staging a political drama, he added.
Regarding Imran Khan’s demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s (CEC) removal, he said the incumbent CEC was appointed through a constitutional procedure and Imran Khan himself had proposed his name. The ECE could only be removed through the judicial council rather than through hurling threats or bullying, he added.
To a question, he said the Model Town case had already been decided. It had been proved that false allegations were leveled against him (Sana) and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was Punjab’s chief minister at that time.
He said the government had no power to arrest anyone. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Federal investigation Agency (FIA) and anti-corruption institutions had power to arrest anyone, he added.
To another question, he said the current Punjab government had no future.
Regarding the recent by-elections in Punjab, the minister conceded that the PML-N voters and supporters did not accept the PTI’s defectors as the party candidates. “As the party head in Punjab, I can confirm that the selection of wrong candidates was the reason for our loss in the by-elections.”
