ECP issues another notice to Khadim Rizvi after his no-show in party funding case

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday ordered the district election commissioner of Lahore to personally deliver a second notice to Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the chief of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), in a case regarding his party's registration and funding.

A five-member commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner retired Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza, heard the case today.

Neither Rizvi, who was taken under "protective custody" last week, nor his counsel appeared before the commission.

At this, the ECP issued another notice to the TLP chief and instructed the district election commissioner to ensure that the orders are obliged to.

The ECP adjourned the case till December 5.

The case against TLP was initiated after the Supreme Court lambasted the ECP earlier this month for registering a party that had disrupted life in the twin cities last year.

The top court had expressed surprise that the right-wing party had been registered with a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop) by an individual residing in the United Arab Emirates.

Supreme Court was also amazed that the ECP's director general of law could not even answer if the person, who applied for TLP's registration as a political party, was a Pakistani citizen, a dual national or a foreign citizen.

ECP had also admitted that the body had allowed TLP to contest the general elections but the party had failed to provide details of the funds that it used to finance its campaign.