ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has warned that political parties failing to submit their statements of accounts would not be allowed to contest any by-polls.

In a notice sent to political parties, the ECP reminded that under Section 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, all political parties were required to submit to the ECP within 60 days of the close of each financial year a consolidated statement of accounts of the party duly audited by a chartered accountant. The statement is required under the law to include annual income and expenditure, sources of its funds and assets and liabilities.

Under Clause 2 of Section 13, the statements are supposed to be accompanied by a certificate signed by the party leader stating that (a) no funds from any source prohibited under the Political Parties Order, 2002, were received by the party and (b) the statement contains the accurate financial position of the party.

The last date for filing annual statement of accounts by political parties is Aug 29 each year, which was conveniently ignored by majority of political parties enlisted with the ECP. “All those political parties who failed to submit their financial account statements to ECP within stipulated time are hereby informed that all the political parties which failed to comply with Section 13 shall not be eligible to use the party election symbols already allocated to the said party in ensuing by-elections or general elections till the submission of the statements of account under Section 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002,” the notice reads.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2016