ECP asks parliamentarians to submit assets’ statements by Dec 31

• ECP asked the parliamentarians and members of the provincial assemblies to submit statements of assets and liabilities for financial year 2018-19 by December 31.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday asked the parliamentarians and members of the provincial assemblies to submit statements of assets and liabilities for financial year 2018-19 by December 31.

According to an official of ECP, the commission, on the first day of January each year will publish the names of members who failed to submit the requisite statement of assets and liabilities within the period specified under sub-section (1).

He said that the submission of yearly statements of assets and liabilities including their spouse and dependent children as on the preceding 30th day of June on Form-B is a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017.

He said that under this section, every member of an Assembly and Senate will submit to the commission, on or before December 31st 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.

He said that by an order the commission will suspend the membership of a member of an Assembly and Senate on sixteenth of January, who fails to submit the statement of assets and liabilities by the fifteenth day of January and such member will cease to function till he files the statement of assets and liabilities.

He said that where a member submits the statement of assets and liabilities under this section which is found to be false in material particulars, he may, within one hundred and twenty days from the date submission of the statement, be proceeded against for committing the offence of corrupt practice.

He said that the prescribed form along with instructions and guidelines prepared in this regard can be obtained free of cost from the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad, offices of Provincial Election Commissioners in each Province, Senate Secretariat, National Assembly Secretariat and Secretariats of Provincial Assemblies. The form can also be downloaded from the ECP's Website www.ecp.gov.pk.