ISLAMABAD: With the legal deadline just a week away, the Election Com­mission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked political parties to file their statements of accounts for the financial year 2023-24 by Aug 29.

In a statement, the commission said political parties are required in terms of Section 210 of the Elections Act 2017, read with Section 204 of the Act and Rules 159 & 160 of the Election Rules 2017, to file with ECP their statements of accounts for financial year, ended on June 30.

The Section 210 of the Elections Act, 2017, provides that a political party shall, in such a manner as may be prescribed, submit to the Commission, within 60 days from the close of a financial year, a consolid­a­ted statement of its acc­o­u­nts audited by a chartered accountant on Form-D containing: (a) Annual income and expenses; (b) sources of its funds; and (c) assets and liabilities.

The statement to be submitted to the ECP should accompany the report of a chartered accountant with regard to the audit of acco­unts of a political party and a certificate signed by an office-bearer authori­s­­ed by the party head stating that: (a) no funds from any source prohibited un­­der the Elections Act, 2017, were received by the political party; and (b) the statement contains an accurate financial position of the po­­litical party. The statement of accounts is to be submitted on Form-D as provided in the Elections Act, 2017.

Printed Forms are available, free of cost, in the Election Com­mission Sec­retariat, Islamabad, and in the offices of the provincial election commissioners, Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa and Baloch­istan. The Form-D / pro for­­ma for source of funds are also available on the ECP’s website.

The statement should be addressed to the secretary of Election Commis­sion of Pakistan, and deli­vered through an office-bearer of the party, duly authorised by the party head in terms of Rule 156 of the Election Rules, 2017. Statements received through post, fax, courier service or any other mode shall not be accepted.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024