Pakistan: Donors fret over use of charity money for political purposes

Jan 27, 2022

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 27 : The contributors' list presented to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has become suspicious as several contributors, named in the list, raised questions about the use of a charity for political purposes.
The PTI presented a list of individual donors to the ECP scrutiny committee who contributed USD 0.46 million to the party funds, according to News International
Meanwhile, the ECP, on a petition moved by Akbar S Babar, a former member of PTI, is hearing the party's foreign funding case. Besides providing details of the party's bank accounts and foreign companies, the PTI had also submitted a list of 1,414 names to the ECP's scrutiny committee who donated USD 467,320 to the party in 2013.
Some of those who claimed they contributed to the Shaukat Khanum Hospital were astonished to learn that their charity money had been diverted for political purposes.
Earlier, in 2017, the PTI launched a membership campaign in the US and sent membership cards to party workers residing in the US. It was a paid membership campaign and the party's US chapter sent congratulatory messages along with payment receipts to the party members, according to News International.
However, several individuals claim they donated for the political campaign of the PTI.
The ECP, on a petition moved by Akbar S Babar, a former member of PTI, is hearing the party's foreign funding case. Besides providing details of the party's bank accounts and foreign companies, the PTI had also submitted a list of 1,414 names to the ECP's scrutiny committee who donated USD 467,320 to the party in 2013, as reported by News International.