The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued a notification directing the political parties to submit annual financial statements. According to the statement, all political parties are directed to submit financial record for the year 2017-18 on or before August 29. “It may be recalled that Section 210 of the Election Act, 2017 provides that a political party shall, in such a manner as may be presented, 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 annual income and expenses, sources of funds and assets and liabilities,” the notification read. The financial statement should also include a report by a chartered accountant pertaining to the audit of the accounts of the political party and a signed certificate by an office-bearer authorised by the party head, sating that “no funds from any source prohibited under the Elections Act, 2017 were received by the political party and the statement contains an accurate financial position of the political party,” the notification further read. Published in Daily Times, July 14th 2018.