Consultative session on political parties funding held.

LAHORE -- Punjab Finance Minister Mohsin Leghrai said on Tuesday that political workers and voters should become fund raisers in order to bring transparency in the political parties funding.

Addressing a consultative session jointly organized by PILDAT (Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency) and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) on financing of the political parties in Pakistan here, he said political reforms should be made in accordance with prevailing political environment in the country. No law could be effectively implemented until it was based on ground realities.

Leghari stressed the need for strengthening the political parties to strengthen the political system and democracy in Pakistan. "Accountability is vital to strengthen the political parties," he added.

PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, UNDP Chief Technical Advisor Ali Al-Bayati, the ECP Director General (Political Finance) Masood Akhtar Sherwanee also spoke on the occasion. Besides Finance Minister Mohsin Leghrai of the PTI, the others political party representatives, who joined the discussion, included JUI (Jamiat Ulema Islam) Information Secretary Aslam Ghauri and JI (Jamat-i-Islami) Naib Amir Farid Ahmed Piracha.

Ali Al-Bayati said the UNDP facilitated political stakeholders to develop a common ground on policy reforms by providing a platform such as this consultative forum. He said legal framework and implementation of political finance was a very important and sensitive issue not just for Pakistan but also for every democracy.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said the Election Commission of Pakistan's order of August 2 regarding eight year-long 'prohibited funding' case had generated a debate and raised questions about the system of political finance in Pakistan. Similar cases were pending before the ECP about funding of other parties.

He defined that all financial matters dealing with politics and political system came under the realm of political finance, such as political parties' funding and spending, candidates' funding and spending, candidates' nomination form, political parties' annual accounts, legislators' annual assets and liabilities statements, political parties election accounts and candidates' election accounts.

He said legal framework of political finance was defined by Article 17 (3) of...