ISLAMABAD, July 24: The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday reminded the political parties of what was in store for them when they would approach it for the allotment of election symbol.
It said it had framed the rules for the political parties as required under the Political Parties Order, 2002.
These rules, as released earlier, would hit political parties failing to conduct intra-party polls or not giving complete statement of their finances.
An insider told Dawn that the Election Commission was releasing the relevant provisions of PPO time and again to caution the political parties what would be their fate if these requirements were not fulfilled. The Commission, he added, would have no other option but to turn down their request for an election symbol.
The EC announcement on Wednesday stated that it had notified the Political Parties Rules, 2002, in the Gazette of Pakistan.
If a political party had, before the commencement of the Political Parties Order, completed intra-party elections, it shall, within seven days of the publication of these rules in the official gazette, submit to the EC a certificate specified in Form-IV to the effect that the intra-party elections were held, as far as possible, in accordance with the requirement of Article 11 of PPO, 2002, the EC said in its announcement.
Under the rules, the announcement added, every political party, within ten days of its formation or, which is already in existence, within ten days of the publication of these rules in the official gazette, shall provide to the EC a printed copy of its constitution along with a certificate, duly attested by the party leader, that its constitution was in conformity with the requirements of the PPO.
The announcement further stated that every political party shall maintain its accounts in the manner set out in form-1, indicating its income and expenditure, source of funds, assets and liabilities and shall, within sixty days from the close of the each financial year (July-June), submit to the Election Commission a consolidated statement of accounts of the party, audited by a Chartered Accountant, accompanied by a certificate, duly signed by the party leader to the effect that no funds from any source prohibited under the PPO were received by the party and that the statement contained an accurate financial position of the party.
It stated that where the Election Commission decided that the contributions or donations, as the case may be, accepted by the political parties were prohibited under clause(3) of the Article 6, it shall, subject to notice to the political party concerned and after giving an opportunity of being heard, direct the same to be confiscated in favour of the State to be deposited in Government treasury or sub-treasury.
The head of each political party, under his signature, shall, within seven days of the completion of intra-party elections, submit a certificate to the EC in Form-II, specifying that the intra-party elections have been held in accordance with the constitution of the party and the provisions of the PPO.
The EC, after satisfying itself that the certificate fulfils the requirement of Articles 11, and 12 of the PPO, shall publish the certificate, including the details of the elections in the official gazette.
Every political party, desirous of taking part in the general elections, 2002, shall complete its intra-party elections by August 5, 2002, and submit, within seven days of such polls, a certificate set out in Form-III that the aforementioned elections have been held in accordance with the constitution of such party and the PPO.