ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek, PML-Q and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have failed to submit statements of their assets and liabilities to the Election Commission of Pakistan within the stipulated period.

Under Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, every political party is bound to file with the ECP its consolidated statement of accounts duly audited by a chartered accountant within 60 days from the close of each financial year.

According to the ECP, of the 282 registered political parties only 25, including PML-N, PPP, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Jamaat-i-Islami, National People’s Party, Awami Muslim League and Qaumi Watan Party, submitted their statements by Aug 29.

The law has no provision to punish the political parties failing to submit their statements by due date. The only time when such parties face difficulty is the election year because they are not allotted an election symbol if they fail to provide details of intra-party elections and assets.

Most political parties submit the required statements in the election year and get the election symbol. The law is so vague that political parties failing to meet a legal requirement are even allowed to contest by-elections.

Published in Dawn, August 31, 2014