Islamabad: Steps would be taken to obviate the use of money in elections in Pakistan, a top official said.
Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Hamid Ali Mirza said Thursday that the election commission was working to improve the law relating to political finance.
Speaking at a conference here, he said that the poll panel was looking at provisions on annual statements of accounts of political parties, the limit on election expenses, filing of returns by candidates and lawmakers’ statements of assets and liabilities.
An objective for the review was to develop an effective mechanism for scrutiny of election expenses, he said and added that the they would create a specialised political finance wing to work in this regard.
“Besides, we plan to have consultative meetings with political parties and candidates to take them on board on the issue of political finance so that a proposal for change in existing laws does find requisite support when a bill for an amendment to the law is moved in parliament,” Dawn quoted Mirza as saying.
“It is said that democracy needs to control money, or money will control democracy,” he added. (IANS)