Dormant entities: ECP halts delisting of political parties

Sources say of 343 political parties, 272 had not fulfilled requirements of PPO 2002

ISLAMABAD: In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has halted the delisting process of dormant political parties and directed the concerned quarters not to take any action against them.

According to sources, the Chief Election Commissioner and ECP members stopped the ECP Secretariat from taking any action against political parties, directing them that the inactive political parties should not be delisted till a new legislation was passed.

Of 343 political parties, 272 had not fulfilled the requirements of Political Parties Order (PPO) 2002, the sources added.



Owing to the ECP’s failure to implement its rule and regulations in true sense in the past, a massive increase in the registration of political parties had been witnessed, which took their number to 343.

They said that the ECP had prepared a list of political parties at the end of last year in which the parties that did not meet the requirements were identified.

Millat Party, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, Pakistan Muslim League Nazaryati, Pakistan Muslim League Junejo, Pakistan Muslim League Like-Minded and Pakistan National Muslim League were prominent among the 272 political parties that did not meet the requirements of PPO 2002.



It was revealed that around 300 political parties were dormant, of which 272 did not hold intra-party polls, due to which the ECP suspended their election symbols and the matter was sent to the CEC and ECP members to delist these parties.

Sources said that ECP Secretariat and its confidential wing briefed the CEC and the ECP members, who stopped them from taking any action against those political parties, directing them to wait till the new legislation arrived.

It is pertinent to mention that the ECP sought details from the 272 political parties about their intra-party polls, accounts and present addresses through a public order, but not only did they fail to furnish any such record, they didn’t even bother to reply.



However, the move begs the question that what prompted the ECP to halt the delisting process and wait for the new legislation?