Since 2023, every candidate must open a bank account specifically for election expenses before the scrutiny date — and attach a bank statement to their nomination paper. This requirement is now part of the nomination process itself.
Election campaign finance in Pakistan has historically been difficult to track. The Elections (Second Amendment) Act 2023 tightened the connection between nomination and financial accountability by making the election bank account a prerequisite for nomination acceptance.
 What the law says: Section 133(1) of the Elections Act 2017 , as amended in 2023, requires every candidate to open an exclusive account with a scheduled bank before the date fixed for scrutiny of nomination papers, or to designate an existing account solely for election expenses. The bank statement — starting from entries seven days prior to the election schedule — must be attached with the nomination paper. Without the bank statement attachment, the nomination paper is incomplete.
All election expenses — and all contributions received for the purpose of election expenses — must be routed through this single dedicated account. Using personal funds outside the account for campaign purposes constitutes a violation of the requirement.
 Why this matters: The bank account requirement creates a documented financial trail. Every payment made from the account and every deposit received by the account is recorded by the bank and subject to review by the ECP when the candidate submits their election expense return under Section 134.
For voters, the bank statement attached to the nomination paper is a public document under Section 60(7). Any voter can inspect the statement and see the opening balance and initial transactions. This is the beginning of the financial accountability chain that runs through the nomination, the campaign, and the post-election expense return.
 Source: Elections Act 2017, Section 133(1) as amended by the Elections (Second Amendment) Act 2023.
