- Poll body asks remaining parties to submit bank statements by August 29
As many as 15 political parties have submitted their statements of bank accounts for financial year 2016-17 so far with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), according to an official of the commission.
The top poll body has asked all remaining political parties to submit their statement of bank accounts by August 29. In terms of Article 14 of the Political Party Order, 2002, a party, which fails to submit its statement of accounts under Article 13, will not be eligible to obtain election symbol for contesting elections for the Majils-e-Shoora (the parliament) and provincial assemblies.
The ECP has received statements from political parties included Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party (Shaheed Bhutto), National Party, Awami League, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Pakistan Awami Muslim League, Pakistan Social Justice Party, Pakistan Supreme Democratic Party, Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Pakistan Reh-e-Haq, Pakistan People’s Front, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaniat, Allah-O-Akbar Tehreek, Mustaqbil Pakistan and Pakistan Muhammadi Party.
The commission has reminded the political parties that in terms of Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, they have to file with the commission their statement of accounts. Under Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, every political party will submit to the commission within 60 days from the close of each financial year, a consolidated statement of bank accounts of the party on Form-I duly audited by a chartered accountant.
The statement of accounts of the party is required to be accompanied by a certificate signed by the party leader stating that no funds from any source prohibited under the Political Parties Order, 2002, were received by the party and that the statement contains an accurate financial position of the party. The statement of accounts is to be submitted in Form-I as prescribed under the Political Parties Rules, 2002.
The printed forms are available, free of cost, in the Election Commission Secretariat in Islamabad and in the offices of the provincial election commissioners of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The party leaders of all the parties have been advised by the ECP to submit the statements by August 29.
An ECP official said that the statement would be delivered to the secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan in the Election Commission Secretariat by the party leader or through an office-bearer of the party, duly authorised by the party leader.
As per provisions of rule 11 of the Political Parties Rules, 2002, any statement received through post, fax, courier service or any other mode will not be entertained. The Form-I can also be downloaded from the official website of the commission.