ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked all political parties to file with it details of their assets on or before Aug 29.

The ECP said that under Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, every political party was bound to submit to the Election Commission within 60 days from the close of each financial year a consolidated statement of accounts of the party, duly audited by a chartered accountant.

The statement of accounts of the party was 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, had been received by the party and the statement should contain an accurate financial position of the party, the election commission said.

The statement of accounts is to be submitted on Form-I as prescribed under rules. Printed forms are available free of cost at the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad, and in the offices of the Provincial Election Commissioners, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The leaders of political parties concerned have been advised to submit statements of accounts of their parties, duly audited by a Chartered Accountant, on or before Aug 29, 2014.

The statements are to be delivered to the Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan, at the Election Commission Secretariat, Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad, through an office-bearer of the party, authorised by the party leader.

As per provisions of rule 11 of the Political Parties Rules, 2002, statements received through post, fax, courier service or any other mode will not be entertained.

The apparently flawed law has no provision to punish political parties not providing such statements by due date.

The only time such parties face difficulty is the election year because under the law the political parties failing to provide details of intra-party elections and assets, do not qualify to get an election symbol.

*Examine: [ECP turned over details of the assets of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and his party ][*1]

There are instances of political parties failing to submit assets’ details for a specific year or years, but still managing to obtain election symbols after filing it subsequently prior to general elections.

The law is so vague that political parties failing to meet a legal requirement are allowed to contest even by-elections.

Published in Dawn, July 5th , 2014