Evidence being compiled for ban on PTI

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other relevant agencies are working to compile concrete evidence of criminal activities and other wrongdoings of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to submit a reference in the light of a consensus verdict of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to the Supreme Court of Pakistan for banning it. “After the required evidence is gathered, the reference will be submitted to the apex court without delay and hopefully the task will be completed soon,” Federal Law and Justice Minister Senator Azam Nazir Tarrar told The News here on Saturday. In a brief chat, the minister made it clear that the ruling Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) would follow the dictate of law and constitution, hence no slackness would be shown in doing the needful for sealing the fate of the PTI.

Meanwhile, legal experts maintained that all bank accounts of the PTI would be frozen, its offices would be sealed and its all members of parliament would lose their status as lawmakers after the SC verdict banning the PTI. Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja was on record that former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI received 34 “prohibited foreign donations”. The election commission had issued a show cause notice to the party. The PTI challenged the election commission’s jurisdiction and opted to appeal against the ECP verdict in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Sources said the federal government had received the ECP verdict enabling to the government to move the exalted court with a reference against the PTI under Article 17 of the Constitution.

The Law and Justice minister, who is also leader of the House in Senate, said the government would issue a declaration to ban the PTI as soon the documents were ready for filing the reference. He regretted that the PTI and Imran Khan were still busy with activities contrary to the law, constitution and interests of the country. “It’s highly regrettable since nobody expects that a person who was the prime minister would become so insensitive about the wellbeing of the fellow countrymen and the interests of the motherland,” he said.

To a query, he said former federal minister and PTI leader Shaukat Tarin would have to face legal proceedings as he tried to play with the economy and conspired at the behest of Imran Khan to subvert the IMF programme restoration that could result in bankruptcy. The former federal minister ventured it when the country’s economy was already in a shambles due to the PTI misrule of four years. He said Tarin confessed at a news conference early on Saturday that he did talk to the Finance ministers of Punjab and KP for backtracking on their commitments regarding the IMF package.

Despite the confession, the agencies concerned would require the forensics report of his telephone conversation for registration of a case against the culprits. He said the Interior Ministry had sought a report and major developments could take place on Monday in this connection.