ISLAMABAD: The government announced on Thursday it would send a declaration against former prime minister Imran Khan’s political party to the supreme court in the wake of a recent ruling issued against it by the country’s election agency which said that the party had taken prohibited funding from various individuals and international companies.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday said Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party had concealed at least 16 bank accounts in violation of the constitution while asking it why these prohibited funds should not be confiscated.

The closely watched case was filed by a former PTI member, Akbar S. Babar, in 2014, who maintained that Khan’s political faction had received foreign funds from individual and companies to run its election campaign which was prohibited under Pakistan’s laws.

The ECP’s ruling acquired greater importance in recent weeks as Khan, who lost office in April in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence, has been trying to make a political comeback.

“The government has decided in principle to send a declaration [against the PTI] to the supreme court as per the election commission’s judgment,” information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.

She said the government had also tasked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to probe the “misappropriation of funds, fake accounts and money-laundering” in the case.

“The government is bound to act upon the election commission’s verdict as per the law and constitution,” she continued. “The PTI has been clearly declared a foreign-aided party in the election commission’s ruling.”

In its 70-page verdict, which was unanimous, the ECP listed all individuals and entities, including the disgraced business tycoon Arif Naqvi, who sent prohibited funds to the party, saying it “knowingly and willfully received these donations.”

“The commission is satisfied that the contributions and donations have been received by the respondent party through prohibited sources,” the election agency ruled.

“Non-disclosure and concealment of 16 bank accounts by PTI is a serious reporting lapse at the part of PTI leadership and in violation of Article 17 (3) of the constitution of Pakistan,” it said.

According to Article 17 (3) of the constitution, “every political party shall account for the source of its funds in accordance with law.”

It also mandates the federal government to declare any political party that has been “formed or is operating in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan, the Federal Government shall, within fifteen days of such declaration, refer the matter to the Supreme Court whose decision on such reference shall be final.”

The minister said the law ministry would present the declaration in the next cabinet meeting after revieing all legal and constitutional aspects before sending it to the top court.

She maintained the PTI’s sixteen undeclared accounts were opened in the name of Imran Khan and other senior party leaders.

She also informed that all state institutions, including the FIA, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB), had started investigating the individuals “involved in the crime.”

“Each and everything [in this case] will be done as per law,” she added.

Earlier in the day, a group of lawmakers belonging to the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance asked the ECP to disqualify Khan from holding public office while suggesting in a reference that he was not financially upright.

The reference, which was filed by Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, urged the election commission to act against Khan under Article 63 of the constitution which requires people’s representatives to be honest and upright.