Shifting Blame?: Imran files reference against poll body chief as Oppn calls for verdict in foreign funding case

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 30 : As the Pakistan's ruling coalition calls for pronto announcement of verdict in PTI's foreign funding case, party chairman Imran Khan has decided to file a judicial reference against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Raja Sultan, media reports said.
Pakistan's local media outlet, ARY News, the decision was taken during a meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership under the chairmanship of Imran Khan.
Expressing concerns over the meeting between members of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and a government delegation the PTI leadership said, "CEC Sikandar Raja Sultan violated the ECP's code of conduct,"
In addition to filing a judicial reference, the meeting also decided to bring no-confidence motion against the election commission in two provincial assemblies - Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To intensify its protest against the alleged collusion between Election Commission and the PTI chairman, the PTI Chairman has directed the legal experts to start proceedings.
Earlier on Saturday, former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry confirmed the same while addressing the media. He said that the PTI was mulling over bringing a reference against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja against meeting leaders from the ruling coalition.
He said that leaders of the ruling coalition met CEC and discussed the prohibited funding case which is against the judges' code of conduct which also applies to Sikandar Sultan. The former Pakistani minister added that CEC and members of the ECP violated their code of conduct of the judiciary.
"How members of the ECP could meet people who are party to a case," he said.
Hitting out at the Election Commission of Pakistan for delaying the verdict on former Prime Minister Imran Khan-led PTI's "foreign funding" case, PM Shehbaz Sharif said that this is a classic example of how the "Ladla" (Imran) was being protected, media reports said.
The Shehbaz Sharif government on Thursday doubled down on its demand, asking the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue the verdict on PTI's "foreign funding" case -- which has been pending since 2014, reported ARY News.
In a tweet, the PM wrote, "NS [Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif's brother] was convicted for not taking a salary, 'Ladla' is untouchable. Eight years on, the decision is still elusive."
Notably, PTI's founding member Akbar S Babar had filed the case in 2014 where he alleged that the party received foreign funding. The ECP, on June 21, reserved the verdict in the case.
He further mentioned that in order to stop the foreign funding case, Khan filed nine writ petitions in the Islamabad High Court and got 50 adjournments.
Joining the chorus was Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. Taking to Twitter he urged ECP to "immediately" announce the verdict of the foreign funding case.
"PTI lawyers resorted to delaying tactics for eight years by filing nine writ petitions during the proceedings but now the decision is already reserved," he wrote, adding that a further delay is "incomprehensible".
Last week as well, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged the country's election commission to announce a long-delayed verdict in the case of "foreign funding" against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Sharif alleged that for long a free pass had been given to the PTI chief for his repeated and shameless attacks on state institutions, which has hurt the country, the Dawn newspaper reported.
"I urge the Election Commission of Pakistan to announce long-delayed judgment on PTI foreign funding case. For long has Imran Niazi been given a free pass despite his repeated and shameless attacks on state institutions. Impunity given to him has hurt the country," Shehbaz said in a tweet.
Earlier, on April 14, Islamabad High Court Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani rejected the request to prevent access to case records to PTI's Babar and a request to remove him from the foreign funding case proceedings.
During the hearing, petitioner Babar's financial expert, Arsalan Wardak, pointed out that it was an "established fact" that money was received from Britain. He also highlighted that no one was aware of the origins of the money received from Canada, Dawn newspaper reported.
"Funds were received from Wootton Cricket Limited for which the registration number has been provided. Another USD 49,000 dollars were received from another company in the United Arab Emirates," he said, adding that the PTI did not deny receiving these funds.
The financial expert also highlighted that the donor lists were missing several details. "The PTI received funds from 13 countries There is no record of the Rs20 million received at the PTI chairman's office," he said.