ECP finds PTI spending exceeds other parties

The party spent Rs364.2m during financial year 2014-15 under the head of ‘party expenditures’

ISLAMABAD: Although the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is still fighting a case in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regarding receiving foreign funding, it became evident on Thursday that it spent more money than any other political party to run party affairs during financial year 2014-2015.

Collectively, the PTI spent Rs364.2 million during financial year 2014-15 under the head of ‘party expenditures’, according to statements of assets submitted by the party with the ECP.

Article 13 of the Political Parties Order of 2002 states that every political party shall submit with the ECP within 60 days from 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.

However, political parties usually avoid submitting such details.

The break-up of expenditure by the PTI showed that Rs293 million were spent on public events, Rs12 million on legal and professional charges given to individuals and firms, Rs6.7 million on election campaign, Rs2.5 million on advertisement, Rs25 million on salaries, wages and benefits, Rs7.5 million on offices rent, Rs2.8 million on entertainment, Rs2 million on financial assistance to candidates.

PTI owns assets worth slightly more than Rs150 million and a bank balance of nearly Rs119 million.

During the same period, the PML-N spent Rs40 million to run party affairs, according to ECP data.



PML-N’s statement stated it had assets worth Rs40.5 million, while the party’s income remained at Rs16.5 million. Its expenditures included Rs135,000 on ‘party meeting’ and Rs145,000 on ‘recreation’.

Headed by former president Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) has the largest bank balance of Rs200 million – of that Rs100 million were transferred to PPP-P by the Bilawal Bhutto-led Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) during the year.

Bilawal-led PPP had an income of Rs20 million, while the party spent Rs120 million on party affairs during 2014-15.

Sheikh Rashid-led Awami Muslim League (AML) is the poorest political party having assets worth Rs138,000.

PML-Q owns assets worth more than Rs50 million, while Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) assets are valued at Rs100 million. MQM holds assets worth Rs47.5 million while it collected Rs230 million in donations during 2014-15 under the head of ‘Martyr’s Fund’.