ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday declared that political parties failing to hold intra-party elections would be barred from taking part in coming by-elections till they met the legal requirement.

The commission also placed on its website a list of parties which had not held elections so far.

The parties likely to be affected by the decision include the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid-i-Azam (PML-Q).

According to the ECP document, the last time the PML-N held intra-party elections was on June 27, 2011, to choose office-bearers for a term of three years. Thus, elections were now overdue for well over two years.

The MQM held its last intra-party elections for a four-year term on June 21, 2012, making fresh elections due in June this year.

PML-N, MQM, ANP, PML-Q among those to be affected

The ANP held its last intra-party polls to elect office-bearers for a four-year term on Nov 30, 2011. Their terms expired on Nov 30 last year.

The document discloses that the intra-party elections in PML-Q were due at least a year before the 2013 general election, but the party was allowed to contest the polls in violation of the law.

Intra-party elections are also due for the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s two factions led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Maulana Samiul Haq since November and December last year, respectively. Elections within the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) were also due by March 27 this year.

The All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), led by former military ruler retired General Pervez Musharraf failed to hold elections which it was required to conduct before March 31 last year.

Other political parties which have not held intra-party elections after expiry of their office-bearers’ terms include the National Party (NP), led by federal minister Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), led by Dr Tahirul Qadri, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), headed by Mehmood Khan Achakzai and the PML-Zia group.

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS: Names of the MQM and APML also appear on the list of political parties which have not yet submitted their statements of accounts to the ECP — a legal requirement for the allotment of an election symbol.

The JUI-F, JUI-S, NP and PAT also figure on both lists.

The ECP said on Thursday it had time and again called upon political parties to submit their statements of party accounts to comply with Section 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002.

It said the candidates of all those political parties which had not submitted their annual party account statements and had also failed to conduct their intra-party elections shall not be allowed to participate in any election under the symbol allotted to them.

“This decision is to take immediate effect. All returning officers for ensuing by-elections are directed to implement the decision of the Commission in letter and spirit”, a statement said.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2016