Islamabad: Winning an election in Pakistan does not immediately grant a candidate their position as a Member of Parliament, as they must first comply with a crucial legal requirement. Candidates are required to submit an election expense return within 10 days of polling day for their victory to be officially recognized in the official Gazette, as mandated by Section 98(3) of the Elections Act 2017.

According to Free and Fair Election Network, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is prohibited from publishing the result of a returned candidate in the official Gazette unless the candidate has submitted their election expense return within the stipulated timeframe. The filing deadline is calculated from the polling day itself, not from the announcement of results. This stipulation applies to all candidates, though the timeline for losing candidates extends to 30 days following the gazette notification of the winning candidate, as outlined in Section 134 of the Elections Act.

This requirement serves as a mechanism for financial accountability, ensuring transparency in election financing. Voters can verify the official Gazette notification of a winner’s name on the ECP’s website to confirm that the expense return was filed on time. If the Gazette does not reflect the announced result after more than 10 days, it may indicate that the expense return has not yet been filed.