Annual account statements: ECP begins proceedings against 48 parties

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has initiated proceedings against 48 political parties including six parliamentary parties for not submitting their annual account statements for the last financial year in violation of the relevant election laws.

Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Balochistan National Party (BNP), Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) are the parliamentary entities in the said list of political parties that have not submitted their account statements for financial year 2023-24.

The remaining lot constitutes smaller political groups most of which lack any significant political presence, and exist only on paper.

Majority of the respondents did not show up at the related case hearing by a two-member ECP bench on Wednesday.

The bench inquired from the ECP officials concerned about the repercussions of non-submission of the yearly account statements on part of the political parties.

The officials informed the bench that account statements’ non-submission could result in withdrawal of the election symbols from the related political parties.

The case was adjourned till 21 November.

The Section 210(1) of the Elections Act 2017 provides that a political party shall submit to the commission within 60 days from the close of a financial year a consolidated statement of its accounts audited by a chartered accountant – containing: (a) annual income and expenses; (b) sources of its funds; and (c) assets and liabilities.

A political party be shall be eligible to obtain an election symbol for contesting elections for the Parliament, provincial assemblies or local government on submission of its statement of accounts—in the light of Section 215(2) of the Elections Act 2017.

The Supreme Court, in its landmark judgement on the reserved seats, declared that the lack or denial of an election symbol does not in “any manner affect the constitutional and legal rights of a political party to participate in an election (whether general or bye) and to field candidates and the commission is under a constitutional duty to act, and construe and apply all statutory provisions, accordingly.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024