Opposition alliance holds protest against Pakistani ruling party’s ‘foreign funding’ case

ISLAMABAD: An alliance of Pakistani opposition parties, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), held a protest rally today, Tuesday, outside the election commission which is hearing a case involving alleged illegal foreign funding for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. 
The Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to take up the case on Wednesday. 
The opposition parties’ protest aims to highlight delays in concluding the case, which has dragged on for over six years without a ruling. The case, filed in November 2014 by Akbar S. Babar, a founding member of the PTI party, pertains to allegations that the PTI received funds from dubious, prohibited, illegal and undeclared sources. 
In 2017, Pakistan’s apex court ruled that political parties could not receive funds from foreign companies. 
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported that the Islamabad Capital Territory administration had finalized a security plan to maintain law and order during the opposition’s protest. 
“Over 7,000 security personnel, including Rangers and police, would be deployed on the occasion,” the newspaper said. “On government’s directives, the administration will not block the rallies but will take strict action in case the protesters create any disturbance,” a senior official of the local administration was quoted as saying. 
The PDM was formed in September 2020 and has been holding countrywide rallies since, calling for PM Khan to step down and announce new elections. The alliance says the 2018 election was rigged in favor of Khan, who denies the allegations.