The decision delivered by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday has all the ingredients to damage the PTI and its senior leadership.
Now it mostly depends on the government that how strict it wants to act against Imran Khan and PTI considering the decision of Election Commission.
However, the Supreme Court will decide the final fate of Imran Khan and his party.
If the government remains unmoved, the Election Commission case will hang like a sword on PTI and its chairman.
The Election Commission’s decision is based on solid evidence regarding prohibited funding and may lead to several other constitutional, criminal and civil cases against the PTI and its leadership.
Among the potential cases being discussed in political and legal circles from the Election Commission’s decision are confiscation of prohibited funds, withdrawal of electoral symbols, ban on PTI and disqualification of Imran Khan.
However, the Supreme Court will take the final decision on these cases.
As a result of the Election Commission’s decision, criminal cases may also be registered against the leadership of PTI, which include cases like money laundering, keeping unknown bank accounts and taking money from citizens of enemy countries.
In the light of Election Commission’s decision, FIA, State Bank, NAB and police can also be asked to investigate these cases.
However, what is more serious against Imran Khan in the Election Commission’s decision can disqualify him and it is written in para number (k) 50 of the decision that PTI Chairman from 2008-09 to 2 December 2013 ( for five years) continued to submit Form One and when the Election Commission got the financial statements (financial statements) from the State Bank and examined these forms with other available records, it was found that there were massive errors in the form.
According to the Election Commission, each certificate certifies that the PTI is operating in accordance with the laws of Pakistan and furnishes a declaration of its sources of funds and accounts in accordance with Article 17(3) of the Constitution.
The paragraph further states that Imran Khan, as the head of a political party and its chairman, was bound to ensure that the documents submitted to the Election Commission were strictly in accordance with the law.
According to the available records, Imran Khan has failed to fulfill his obligations as per the laws of Pakistan.
If we look at the decision, there is another aspect of harming Imran Khan. It has been stated in the decision that there are two accounts which were opened at the request of Imran Khan but the Election Commission was not told about these accounts.
One account was a dollar account opened in Habib Bank Limited Islamabad titled PTI. 51 thousand 750 dollars were withdrawn from this account while 51 thousand 750 dollars were deposited in the same account.
The second account was opened in Pakistani currency at HBL Islamabad Civic Center branch on the request of Imran Khan himself. Rs 84.141 million was withdrawn from this account while 86.890 million was deposited.
What is disturbing for Imran Khan and PTI is that the Election Commission has written in its decision that Imran Khan knowingly and willingly received donations from foreign companies and foreign personalities and this is against the Constitution of Pakistan and It is a violation of the law.
The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to the PTI asking why the prohibited funds of the party should not be seized. This confiscation of funds comes under the purview of the Election Commission.
It is the federal government’s power to dissolve the PTI and it can file a dissolution case against a “foreign-funded party” for a decision in the Supreme Court.
Imran Khan’s disqualification can be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan or the Supreme Court.
Any private petitioner or the government itself can apply for the disqualification of Imran Khan by filing a case in the Election Commission or the Supreme Court in the light of the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan against PTI in the foreign funding case.