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Pakistan Suspends 152 Lawmakers Over Asset Declaration Failure

Pakistan's Election Commission has suspended the membership of 152 legislators for failing to submit their annual statements of assets and liabilities by the January 15 deadline. The suspended members include those from the National Assembly, Senate, and all four provincial assemblies. The action is mandated by Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017, which requires disclosure of assets for lawmakers and their immediate families. This follows a similar suspension of 139 lawmakers last year for the same compliance failure.

Key Points: Pakistan Suspends 152 Lawmakers for Missing Asset Deadline

  • 152 lawmakers suspended
  • Failed to submit asset statements
  • Includes National Assembly & Senate members
  • Mandatory under Elections Act 2017
2 min read

Election Commission of Pakistan suspends 152 lawmakers for failing to submit asset statements

Pakistan's Election Commission suspends 152 national and provincial lawmakers for failing to submit mandatory annual asset and liability statements.

"they shall cease to function as members with immediate effect until such statements are submitted by them - Election Commission of Pakistan"

Islamabad, January 16

Pakistan's Election Commission on Friday suspended the membership of 152 legislators from the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies for failing to submit their statements of assets and liabilities within the prescribed deadline, Dawn reported.

The commission directed that "they shall cease to function as members with immediate effect until such statements are submitted by them," the report said, citing an ECP statement.

According to Dawn, the ECP issued a reminder on Thursday, asking lawmakers to submit details of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2024-25, including those of their spouse and dependent children, warning that those who did not comply by January 15 would face suspension.

Among the suspended members of the National Assembly are Syed Ali Musa Gilani, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Muhammad Akhtar Mengal, while Musadik Malik is among nine senators whose memberships were also suspended.

The suspension list also includes 50 members of the Punjab Assembly, 33 from the Sindh Assembly, 28 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and seven from the Balochistan Assembly.

Saeed Ghani and Hafiz Naeeemur Rehman are among the lawmakers from the Sindh Assembly who failed to submit the required details of their assets and liabilities.

The ECP stated that submitting the statements was a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017.

Section 137 (1) of the Elections Act, 2017 states that "every member of an assembly and senate shall submit to the Commission, on or before Dec 31 each year, a copy of his statement of assets and liabilities, including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children as on the preceding thirtieth day of June on Form B."

Dawn further reported that last year, the ECP suspended the membership of 139 lawmakers for not submitting their annual asset statements.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
Interesting to see this happening across the border. It shows institutional mechanisms are at work. However, the real test is if this leads to actual accountability or if it's just a temporary suspension. The list is quite long!
A
Aman W
Rules are rules. If our MPs in India miss such deadlines, they should face similar consequences. No one is above the law. Good precedent being set, hope it's followed through properly.
S
Sarah B
While the action seems firm, one has to ask why so many lawmakers failed to comply. Is the system too cumbersome, or is there a lack of seriousness? 152 is not a small number. It points to a deeper cultural issue regarding transparency.
V
Vikram M
They suspended 139 last year and 152 this year. So the problem is getting worse, not better! What happens after they submit? Are the statements actually scrutinized for discrepancies? That's the key question.
K
Kavya N
It includes assets of spouse and children too. That's a crucial clause to prevent hiding wealth. Our systems should also be this comprehensive. Public office is a trust, not a family business. 👏

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