Islamabad: A new amendment to Pakistan's election finance regulations mandates that candidates open dedicated bank accounts for election expenses before nomination scrutiny, significantly altering the nomination process to ensure financial transparency.

According to Free and Fair Election Network, the Elections (Second Amendment) Act 2023 requires each candidate to establish or designate a bank account exclusively for campaign expenses. This account must be set up before the scrutiny date, and a bank statement from this account must accompany the nomination papers. The amendment to Section 133(1) of the Elections Act 2017 aims to enhance financial accountability by creating a documented financial trail for campaign funds.

The legislation specifies that all election-related financial activities, including expenses and contributions, must be processed through this single account. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can review these transactions when candidates submit their post-election expense returns. Any use of personal funds outside this account for campaign activities would breach the new requirement.

The attached bank statement is considered a public document, accessible to any voter, thus initiating a chain of financial accountability that persists throughout the election process. This measure is intended to improve transparency in election campaign financing, a domain that has traditionally been challenging to monitor in Pakistan.