Assets disclosure: ECP reminds political parties to file statements

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reminded all registered political parties to submit statements of their accounts for the last one year before the August 29 deadline.

As per law, those political parties that contest elections are required to file audited accounts to the ECP at the end of a financial year.

According to the Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002, every political party must submit before the ECP a consolidated statement of accounts of the party, duly audited by a chartered accountant, within 60 days from the close of each financial year.

The statement to be submitted should carry details of annual income and expenses of the party, sources of its funds, and details of assets and liabilities.

The statement of accounts of the party is required to be accompanied by an affidavit signed by the party leader, stating that no funds from any source prohibited under Political Parties Order, 2002, were received by the party.

“The party leaders of the concerned political parties are advised to submit the statement of accounts of their parties, duly audited by a chartered accountant, by August 29, positively. The statement shall be delivered through an office bearer of the party, duly authorised by the party leader. Statement received through post, fax, courier service or any other mode is not entertainable” the ECP said its statement.

Since former president Pervez Musharraf introduced the law, the poll supervisory body gets statements of assets of the political parties and publishes the same in the official gazette as a formality.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2015.