Shibli Faraz asks Opposition to quit 'hiding behind rallies', submit records to ECP
Minister for Information Shibli Faraz (L) gesturing to the "40,000 entries" submitted by PTI to the scrutiny committee of the Election Commmission of Pakistan, and Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib, during a news conference in Islamabad, on January 17, 2021. — PID
Minister for Information Shibli Faraz on Sunday asked the Opposition parties to quit "hiding behind rallies" and submit details of their funding to the committee of Pakistan's scrutiny committee.
Faraz, addressing a news conference in Islamabad, said that the PTI has turned altogether the knowledge sought by the ECP concerning the party's funding and now it's the Opposition parties' turn.
The minister spoke about Pakistan Democratic Movement, the 11-party Opposition alliance which is thanks to stage a protest outside the committee of Pakistan on Robert E Lee's Birthday , and said that it's a "sorry attempt by them to aim to repeat a pack of lies such a lot that it starts to look just like the truth".
The Opposition has demanded that facts within the case be made public by the committee of Pakistan.
"The drama they need staged, [it must be realised], this is often not about PTI, it's about all folks . and that we have provided an authenticated, notorised record of all the knowledge from our end.
"Now it's their duty to return tomorrow, rather than the day after and tell the people whether it's really us who are thieves who have provided all proof," the minister said.
He said that after the Opposition parties' performance over the last two-three months, the Pakistan Democratic Movement is "a thing of the past".
"They must submit their record to the scrutiny committee rather than hiding behind rallies," said Faraz.
'PTI has turned in 40,000 entries'
The minister said that following orders by the Supreme Court, the PTI had provided all the small print of the donations received by "party workers and sympathisers" during the 2018 election campaign.
He then proceeded to state that these entries are 40,000 in number with names, addresses, telephone numbers, ID card numbers — all notorised and authenticated.
The minster said that each one transactions came "through proper banking channels and were deposited into PTI's bank accounts".
He said the small print are available for reporters to ascertain after the news conference .
Faraz noted that under the orders of the Supreme Court, and as has been the practice, after the election symbol is given to a celebration , it's sure to provide accounts for the past 5 years.
'Now it's the Opposition's turn'
"We have done [our due diligence] but now the matter has fallen to them (Opposition) to supply proof of their funding — PPP, PML-N and Maulana Fazlur Rehman — and therefore the big expenditures they create with the assistance of vested interest groups.
"They do that in order that once they inherit power, they will facilitate these people in every illegal task [...] like sending money abroad or bringing money to Pakistan, or concealment [...] they never skilled the scrutiny committee about all this," he said.
Faraz then read out a passage from a letter by the ECP within the case of Farrukh Habib vs PML-N.
"Though the committee has tried its utmost to gather the relevant record, the respondent party was reluctant to submit the record asked for by the committee from time to time and therefore the committee was constrained to adjourn the proceedings for provision of data as per the TORs (terms of reference)."
He explained that the ECP had asked the PML-N to supply the ID card numbers and other information of individuals who had made donations to the party. "But these people aren't delivering any information."
"Their approach has always been that rather than answering the questions put to them, they assert "he is additionally a thief'," Faraz said.
The minister said that the Opposition parties are all "playing a game of hypocrisy", whether it's the Peoples Party or the N-League, or Maulana Fazlur Rehman — "who believes that a state without him is incomplete".
He said that the parties had historically always acted out of their own interest in its dealings, "whether it's with the Securities and Exchange Commission, NAB (National Accountability Bureau) or FIA (Federal Investigation Agency)".
"They never sought to serve the people. They proclaim they undertook numerous developmental projects but they took commission from these very projects," said the minister, adding that the Opposition parties have always viewed the law to be "different for them and different for the rest".
"They have made an unsuccessful plan to pressurise institutions," he added.
'Opposition parties themselves a product of foreign funding'
Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Farrukh Habib, taking up the briefing, questioned how it's that the PML-N and PPP are staging a protest outside the ECP.
He said that for the past four years, the 2 parties avoided submitting a record of their funding to the ECP scrutiny committee and therefore the November 5 deadline has long ago passed.
Habib said that "those who are speaking of the foreign funding case, are themselves are the merchandise of foreign funding".
He repeated Faraz's statement that this scrutiny isn't limited to the PTI but extends to all or any parties.
"We won't let these parties escape . they're going to need to provide answers," the parliamentary secretary vowed.
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