Disclosures: PTI, PPP fail to submit financial details to ECP

PTI has sought extension, PPP has submitted accounts

ISLAMABAD: Two of the three largest opposition parties in the country have yet to file their annual financial statements with the Election Commission of Pakistan, in violation of the Political Parties Order 2002.

A senior ECP official told The Express Tribune on Saturday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), headed by Imran Khan, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), headed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, have not yet filed their financial records. However, the PPP contests elections through a subsidiary party known as the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPP), headed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and that party has filed its asset details.

But while the PPP and PTI are the largest parties that have not submitted their financial statements, they are by no means alone. Indeed, of the 307 parties registered with the ECP, only 47 have submitted their accounts.

On August 28, the ECP issued a reminder to political parties that the last date for filing accounts is August 29, 2015, warning them that the “parties which have not submitted its statement of accounts will not be eligible to obtain an election symbol for contesting elections for parliament and provincial assemblies.”

The law governing political parties in Pakistan – the Political Parties Order 2002 – mandates that all parties file their audited statements with the ECP within 60 days of the closure of every financial year. It is also supposed to include a letter signed by the party chief certifying that the statements are accurate and that no funds from prohibited sources were used.

PTI seeks 15-day extension

The PTI, which is already embroiled in a financial irregularities case, has asked the ECP to give it 15 more days to file its statement. PTI finance manager Muhammad Arshad made the request for the extension.

“The external auditor has requested extension in time to complete quality control review and audit for the year ending June 30, 2015. In view of above, you are, therefore, requested to please grant extension in time of at least 15 days for submission of annual return of accounts audited by external auditor of the party,” the letter to the ECP chairman said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2015.