ECP removes names of heads of 13 political parties from updated list

According to the latest ECP list, 160 political parties are registered in the country, but the names of their heads are missing in 13 cases.

The development does not mean that these parties have lost their registration. They remain registered with the ECP, while only the names of their respective heads have been removed from the list.

MQM-P was given until October to hold intra-party elections, while the name of the head of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party was removed as matters relating to intra-party elections and amendments to the party's constitution remained pending.

The Awam Pakistan Party has also reappeared on the list after previously being delisted by the ECP. However, the name of its party head is still missing.

Under Pakistan's election laws, political parties are required to hold intra-party elections within the prescribed period and submit details of the process to the ECP.

These elections are intended to ensure that party office-bearers are elected through a formal democratic process within the organisation.

Political parties are also required to submit annual financial statements to the commission. Under Section 210 of the Elections Act 2017, every political party must submit its financial statements within 60 days of the end of the financial year.

Failure to meet these legal requirements can lead to action by the ECP and may also create problems for a party in obtaining an election symbol.

This is not the first time that the names of party heads have been missing from the commission's list.

In December 2023, the ECP published a list of 175 registered political parties that did not include the name of PTI's head. The development came after the commission had withdrawn the party's election symbol, the cricket bat.

The total number of registered political parties has also changed over time.

At one stage, the number fell to 167 after the registration of two parties was cancelled. Subsequent ECP lists showed the number at 161, before it declined to 160 in the latest update.

The removal of party heads' names, therefore, reflects issues concerning compliance with electoral requirements and does not, by itself, amount to the cancellation of a political party's registration.