Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Friday (Feb 23) that he has written a letter to International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging the world body to not approve new loan to Pakistan before an audit of the recently concluded elections, said reports in Pakistani media.

"The letter has been written to the IMF and will be dispatched today. If the country gets a loan in such a situation, then who will return it?," said Khan during hearing of GBP 190 million corruption case against him in Adiala jail, as per media reports.

The News International reports&nbsp;Khan saying&nbsp;that additional loan would be burdensome for the South Asian nation and would increase poverty.

A senator of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had said just a day ago that Khan would write such a letter to IMF urging it for an audit of the February 8 elections.

Watch | Shehbaz Sharif set to return as Pak PM | No photograph of living things in Afghanistan

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The IMF, meanwhile, has indicated that it was ready to work with the new government in Pakistan.

IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said that the global body was ready to work "on policies to ensure macroeconomic stability and prosperity for all of Pakistan’s citizens."

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/new-pak-government-likely-by-march-2-presidential-poll-before-march-9-report-693357">New Pak government likely by March 2; presidential poll before March 9: Report</a>

Imran Khan's party has alleged that the elections were rigged. When the counting of votes began, the PTI registered an impressive performance as candidates affiliated to it won 95 of 265 seats in Pakistan parliament. However, former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has emerged as the largest party. PMLN now has 108 lawmakers in the parliament.

PTI claims that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials engaged in widespread rigging of poll and declared defeat of PTI-linked candidates on dozens of seats in spite of their victory. The ECP has denied these allegations.&nbsp;

PMLN has now joined hands with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and is in a process to form the government.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Friday (Feb 23) that he has written a letter to International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging the world body to not approve new loan to Pakistan before an audit of the recently concluded elections, said reports in Pakistani media.

Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Friday (Feb 23) that he has written a letter to International Monetary Fund (IMF) urging the world body to not approve new loan to Pakistan before an audit of the recently concluded elections, said reports in Pakistani media. "The letter has been written to the IMF and will be dispatched today. If the country gets a loan in such a situation, then who will return it?," said Khan during hearing of GBP 190 million corruption case against him in Adiala jail, as per media reports. The News International reports Khan saying that additional loan would be burdensome for the South Asian nation and would increase poverty. A senator of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had said just a day ago that Khan would write such a letter to IMF urging it for an audit of the February 8 elections. Watch | Shehbaz Sharif set to return as Pak PM | No photograph of living things in Afghanistan × The IMF, meanwhile, has indicated that it was ready to work with the new government in Pakistan. IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack said that the global body was ready to work "on policies to ensure macroeconomic stability and prosperity for all of Pakistan’s citizens." Also Read | New Pak government likely by March 2; presidential poll before March 9: Report Imran Khan's party has alleged that the elections were rigged. When the counting of votes began, the PTI registered an impressive performance as candidates affiliated to it won 95 of 265 seats in Pakistan parliament. However, former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has emerged as the largest party. PMLN now has 108 lawmakers in the parliament. PTI claims that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officials engaged in widespread rigging of poll and declared defeat of PTI-linked candidates on dozens of seats in spite of their victory. The ECP has denied these allegations. PMLN has now joined hands with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and is in a process to form the government. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan ex-PM Imran Khan asks IMF to hold election audit before new loan: Reports

Republican Senate President Karen Fann says the audit is only meant to see whether improvements are needed to state election laws.&nbsp;

Groups connected to prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump's movement to cast doubt on the 2020 election results have raised more than $5.7 million for Arizona Republicans' election audit, according to figures released late Wednesday, July 28, 2021.&nbsp;

Doug Logan, CEO of Cyber Ninjas, the little-known firm hired to lead the audit, ended months of silence about who was paying for it and how much it cost. The money from pro-Trump groups dwarfs the $150,000 contributed by the Arizona Senate, which commissioned the audit and hired Cyber Ninjas.&nbsp;

Among those leading the fundraising groups are Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor; Sydney Powell, his attorney who filed a number of baseless lawsuits challenging election results; Patrick Byrne, a former chief executive of Overstock.com; and correspondents from the pro-Trump One America News Network.&nbsp;

Republican Senate President Karen Fann says the audit is only meant to see whether improvements are needed to state election laws. But the audit has long been associated with the "stop the steal" movement, and Trump has predicted it will uncover evidence to support his discredited theories of fraud.&nbsp;

Before he was hired to lead the audit, Logan promoted Trump's false narrative that the election was stolen from him, and pro-Trump media has aggressively promoted the effort.

By far the largest funder is The America Project, led by Byrne, which Logan said has so far contributed $3.25 million. America's Future, which lists Flynn as its chairman, contributed just over $976,000. Voices and Votes, led by OANN correspondents Christina Bobb and Chanel Rion, contributed $605,000; and Powell's Defending the Republic gave $550,000. Election Integrity Funds for the American Republic, which Logan said is led by attorney Matthew DePerno, contributed $280,000. DePerno unsuccessfully sued Antrim County, Michigan, over the election.

Logan said several of the groups "have also provided operational support and advice pivotal in executing the audit."

Still unclear is where those groups got their money. They are organized as nonprofits and do not have to disclose their donors.&nbsp;

Logan has fought to keep the funders secret, though he acknowledged at the beginning of the audit that his $150,000 contract with the Senate wouldn't cover the cost of the work the Senate hired him to do. He released the figures on the deadline for him to voluntarily comply with a request for information, including donor information, from the US House Oversight and Reform Committee. Several public records lawsuits also seek information from the Senate and Cyber Ninjas.&nbsp;

The fundraising disclosure came the same day that a key figure in the audit said he planned to quit, then reversed course and said he had reached an agreement to stay on.&nbsp;

Former Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the Senate's unpaid liaison to Logan and the audit contractors, was the only audit leader with substantial experience in elections. His departure threatened to further erode the legitimacy of the unprecedented partisan post-election review.&nbsp;

Bennett was banned from the building where the audit is taking place because he gave data to outside election experts without informing the Senate leader or Logan. He said he wouldn't put his name behind the audit without full access.&nbsp;

"It's the audit that belongs to the people of Arizona, and if I'm going to put my credibility on the line that it's something that they can trust and believe in, I can't be locked out until the last moment," Bennett told conservative radio host James Harris on KFYI-AM.&nbsp;

Bennett later said in a text message that he'd reached an agreement with Fann, the Senate president, to stay on but did not release details.&nbsp;

The audit has come under fire from election experts who say Cyber Ninjas and other contractors are biased and using unusual procedures that won't produce reliable results.&nbsp;

The county Board of Supervisors met privately Wednesday to discuss a new subpoena issued by the Senate this week for materials related to the election. Afterwards, Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican, said the board "discussed various options with our legal counsel and will take the coming days to do our research."

Republican Senate President Karen Fann says the audit is only meant to see whether improvements are needed to state election laws. Groups connected to prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump's movement to cast doubt on the 2020 election results have raised more than $5.

Republican Senate President Karen Fann says the audit is only meant to see whether improvements are needed to state election laws. Groups connected to prominent supporters of former President Donald Trump's movement to cast doubt on the 2020 election results have raised more than $5.7 million for Arizona Republicans' election audit, according to figures released late Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Doug Logan, CEO of Cyber Ninjas, the little-known firm hired to lead the audit, ended months of silence about who was paying for it and how much it cost. The money from pro-Trump groups dwarfs the $150,000 contributed by the Arizona Senate, which commissioned the audit and hired Cyber Ninjas. Among those leading the fundraising groups are Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security advisor; Sydney Powell, his attorney who filed a number of baseless lawsuits challenging election results; Patrick Byrne, a former chief executive of Overstock.com; and correspondents from the pro-Trump One America News Network. Republican Senate President Karen Fann says the audit is only meant to see whether improvements are needed to state election laws. But the audit has long been associated with the "stop the steal" movement, and Trump has predicted it will uncover evidence to support his discredited theories of fraud. Before he was hired to lead the audit, Logan promoted Trump's false narrative that the election was stolen from him, and pro-Trump media has aggressively promoted the effort. By far the largest funder is The America Project, led by Byrne, which Logan said has so far contributed $3.25 million. America's Future, which lists Flynn as its chairman, contributed just over $976,000. Voices and Votes, led by OANN correspondents Christina Bobb and Chanel Rion, contributed $605,000; and Powell's Defending the Republic gave $550,000. Election Integrity Funds for the American Republic, which Logan said is led by attorney Matthew DePerno, contributed $280,000. DePerno unsuccessfully sued Antrim County, Michigan, over the election. Logan said several of the groups "have also provided operational support and advice pivotal in executing the audit." Still unclear is where those groups got their money. They are organized as nonprofits and do not have to disclose their donors. Logan has fought to keep the funders secret, though he acknowledged at the beginning of the audit that his $150,000 contract with the Senate wouldn't cover the cost of the work the Senate hired him to do. He released the figures on the deadline for him to voluntarily comply with a request for information, including donor information, from the US House Oversight and Reform Committee. Several public records lawsuits also seek information from the Senate and Cyber Ninjas. The fundraising disclosure came the same day that a key figure in the audit said he planned to quit, then reversed course and said he had reached an agreement to stay on. Former Republican Secretary of State Ken Bennett, the Senate's unpaid liaison to Logan and the audit contractors, was the only audit leader with substantial experience in elections. His departure threatened to further erode the legitimacy of the unprecedented partisan post-election review. Bennett was banned from the building where the audit is taking place because he gave data to outside election experts without informing the Senate leader or Logan. He said he wouldn't put his name behind the audit without full access. "It's the audit that belongs to the people of Arizona, and if I'm going to put my credibility on the line that it's something that they can trust and believe in, I can't be locked out until the last moment," Bennett told conservative radio host James Harris on KFYI-AM. Bennett later said in a text message that he'd reached an agreement with Fann, the Senate president, to stay on but did not release details. The audit has come under fire from election experts who say Cyber Ninjas and other contractors are biased and using unusual procedures that won't produce reliable results. The county Board of Supervisors met privately Wednesday to discuss a new subpoena issued by the Senate this week for materials related to the election. Afterwards, Chairman Jack Sellers, a Republican, said the board "discussed various options with our legal counsel and will take the coming days to do our research."

Trump supporters raise $5.7 million for Arizona election audit

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