Election preparations: Political parties told to file financial statements by 29th

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked political parties to file audited, consolidated statements of their accounts by August 29 for 2010-2011.

Citing Article 13 of the Political Parties Order of 2002, the ECP said that every political party “has to submit a statement of accounts to the ECP within 60 days of the closure of each financial year,” said an official handout issued here on Sunday.

According to the order, a party which fails to submit its statement of accounts will not be eligible to obtain an election symbol for contesting elections in the parliament or in provincial assemblies.

Over 70 political parties, including the PML-N, PPP, MQM and ANP, have still not submitted their statements.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th,  2011.