KARACHI: We are in the habit of accepting a partial reality as the actual truth despite its obvious loopholes. Our general election, replete with glaring ambiguities, makes for an apt example. The polls leant towards a particular party but their transparency, or the lack of it, was never challenged in any court, turning the winning party into an authentic reality.

The same attitude of acquiescence prevails towards all political parties and what fuels their exchequers is never questioned nor is there an independent authority to monitor their funding. Recently, the government has begun to scrutinise the madressahs and their infrastructure. The central bank has issued a directive to all banks, compelling them to provide information about the donors of these institutions. A similar directive is all it will take to initiate investigations into the funding of a political outfit, a measure which has become increasingly essential to Pakistan’s political climate.

As is known, political parties in Europe and America are mostly funded by the corporate sector. In America, every one is allowed to lobby and raise donations for a candidate or the president.

But unlike Western democracies, the affairs of the political parties in Pakistan are a closely guarded secret and the source of such funds is always unknown.

These parties spend millions of rupees both at the time of elections as well as on a regular basis to keep their mammoth structures rolling across the country. Today, every major political group has an overseas network and their meetings are held in the costliest of cities and hotels. However, the general public in Pakistan puts it all down to the fact that the party leaders are affluent and spend their kitties to run a party’s system as do most rich members.

However, this is just part of the truth. Each political organisation maintains a fund with several accounts in different banks. Donations are deposited in these accounts and at the time of elections, each party has to submit information about its economics. However, this is not more than a stipulated electoral procedure and the real party funds are never disclosed nor are its expenses.

Banks may have information about accounts that are in the name of the party but all secret accounts remain unearthed. Political parties also claim that their members, donors in the form of business men and their supporters in the general public finance them.

Also, it is no secret that certain religious parties enjoy relations with a few Muslim countries and receive funds from them but this too has never been proved.

A suspicious scenario such as ours can only acquire definition and therefore spawn some conviction, if political parties make their affairs transparent. Their checks and balances must fall in the purview of the election commission which should make regular reports on donations and costs mandatory. This can become the building block of a transparent political culture that elicits the belief and trust of the people and will also curb allegations of corruption on the party in power.