As many as 31 political parties out of 345 have submitted their bank statements for financial year 2016-17 with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) within due time.
According to an ECP official, any such political party which has failed to submit account statements within due time will not be allowed to contest any future election and these political parties will not be issued party symbol by the ECP.
He said that the ECP has received statements from political parties included Pakistan Muslim League-N, Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamiat-e-Ulema Pakistan-F,Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, Awami National Party, Pak Sarzameen Party, Pakistan Women Muslim League, Pakistan Gharib Party, Pakistan Jamaat Ahle-Hadith Pakistan (Ropri), Tehreek-e-Tahafuze Pakistan, Jamhoori Watan Party, Move on Pakistan, Hazara Democratic Party, Sindh United Party, Pakistan Muslim League Pakistan People’s Party Workers, Pakistan Muhammadi Party, Pakistan Social Justice Party, Pakistan Supreme Democratic Party, Islami Tehreek Pakistan, Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto), Pakistan Reh-e-Haq, Pakistan Awami Muslim League, Pakistan People’s Front, National Party, Awami League, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaniat Allah-O-Akbar Tehreek and Mustaqbil Pakistan.
He said that Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen Pakistan and Qaumi Watan Party has submitted its accounts details after expiry of final date for submission of details.
He said that some major political parties couldn’t submit their statements of accounts including Mutahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan), Muslim League (Functional), Pakistan Muslim League (Zia), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Junejo)
He said that the final date for submission of political parties’ statement of accounts for financial year 2016-17 with the ECP expired on August 29 (Tuesday).
He said that in terms of Article 14 of the Political Party Order, 2002, a party, which failed to submit its statement of accounts under Article 13, would not be eligible to obtain election symbol for contesting elections for Majils-e-Shoora (Parliament) and provincial assemblies.
He said the commission had reminded the political parties that in terms of Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, they had to file their statement of accounts with it.
Under Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002 every political party is to submit to the Commission within 60 days from the close of each financial year, a consolidated statement of its bank accounts 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 Political Parties Order, 2002, were received by the party and that the statement contains an accurate financial position of the party.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has barred those political parties which failed to submit their financial records on time from contesting elections, an official notice from the election body said on Wednesday.
“Political parties that did not submit their financial records before the final submission date [August 29] will not be allowed to contest any future elections, neither will they be assigned election symbols,” the notice read.
When contacted, ECP spokesperson Haroon Shinwari explained that the ban will stay until the time the parties submit their assets’ details.
“If a party submits the financial details at a later stage, it will become eligible to contest election,” said Shinwari.
