THE end of 2021 marked yet another year that the ruling PTI’s foreign funding case remained without a conclusion. Filed by a founding PTI member Akbar S. Babar in November 2014, it has been over seven years since the case — which should have been concluded within months if not weeks — has dragged on due to the behaviour of the party, a sluggish judicial process and a slow-moving ECP (that is also looking into the source of funding of other parties including the PPP and PML-N). The allegations range from financial irregularities in party accounts and questions about funding sources to concealment of bank accounts, money laundering and the use of private accounts of party employees as a front to receive illegal donations from the Middle East. If proven, they could have serious consequences for the PTI, as the annual consolidated statement of accounts submitted by it bears the PM’s certification. Unfortunately, this test case for political finance, which on paper is regulated by the robust Elections Act 2017, has dragged on and exposed the failings of the key stakeholders. Transparency in political finance goes to the heart of democracy, as it promotes fair political competition and curbs the influence of money over political parties. If implemented in letter and spirit, the legislation would limit the influence of powerful lobbies and interest groups on the functioning of parties that chart the country’s economic future.

Sadly, the case has laid bare how poorly this law is applied. More than 70 hearings have been conducted by the ECP in the last seven years; over two dozen orders, too, have been passed by it, some of which have not been followed. A scrutiny committee set up in 2019 to audit the PTI’s accounts submitted its report six months after the deadline. This committee, too, has met over 75 times. The PTI itself has challenged the ECP’s jurisdiction to probe the case in courts numerous times, showing its lack of appetite for transparency when it comes to political finances. Not only has it approached the courts, it has changed its lawyers and sought dozens of adjournments. The case raises questions about the ECP’s ability to manage such a critical issue, as well as the ruling party’s resistance to get to the bottom of the matter. As the case lingers on, there are slim hopes that there will be any resolution — an unfortunate reality that shows how much work must be done before we can hail the strength of our democracy.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2022