Majority Of Political Parties Fail To File Statement Of Accounts

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th August, 2016) : Majority of political parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Mutahidda Quomi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) have failed to file their statement of accounts for the financial year 2015-16 by August 29. According to official sources, as many as 329 political parties have not yet submitted their assets details.

Only eight registered political parties from out of 237 had submitted their details of assets in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Out of which the statement of accounts of only three political parties including Awami National Party, Awami Muslim League, Islami Tehreek Pakistan have been accepted.

The asset details submitted by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have been returned with objections. The documents of PML-(J), Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaniat, Pakistan Women Muslim League were declared as incomplete. ECP does not have powers to punish political party on not filing assets details.

The submission of statements of accounts by political parties were mandatory as per Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002. Under the Article 13 of the Political Parties Order, 2002 every political party shall submit to the Election Commission within sixty days from the close of each financial year, a consolidated statement of accounts of the party, duly audited by a Chartered Accountant their annual income and expenses, sources of funds and assets and liabilities. The statement of accounts of the party is required to be accompanied by a certificate signed by the party leader stating that the party received no funds from any source prohibited under the Political Parties Order, 2002 and that the statement contains an accurate financial position of the party. Parties which fail to submit their statement of accounts in accordance with the terms laid out in Section 13 will not be allowed to obtain an election symbol or to contest elections for the parliament and provincial assemblies.