Secretary General Pakistan Peoples Party, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari through a letter addressed to the secretary of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), has expressed reservations over the draft amendments in the Elections Rules 2017 published by the commission on September 22, 2023.
The ECP had asked for suggestions and objections on the amendments by October 7, 2023.
Bokhari has expressed serious concern about a condition imposed in the proposed Form-68 that requires the contesting candidates to provide the total election expenses under campaign finance (under section 211(2) of the Elections Act, 2017) made by a party.
He also observed that sub-rule (3) of rule 161 requires the political parties to submit the details of election expenses within sixty days of the publication of the names of returned candidates in the official gazette, but Form-68 requires the contesting candidates to provide the total election expenses under campaign finance (under section 211(2) of the Elections Act, 2017) made by a party within 10 days of polling day (in case of returned candidate) and within thirty days (in case of all other contesting candidates) as per sections 98, 124 & 134 of the Act.
Bokhari wrote that this is a contradiction and an impossibility, as the contesting candidates cannot provide the information that is not yet available from their respective parties.
He requested the ECP to omit the column in Form-68 that requires "Total election expenses under campaign finance (under section 211(2) of the Elections Act, 2017) made by a party".
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