ECP suspends 159 lawmakers for failing to declare assets

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of 159 lawmakers belonging to various legislative bodies for failing to submit their mandatory annual statements of assets and liabilities.

The move comes after the expiration of the January 15 deadline. According to a formal notification issued by the ECP, the suspensions include 32 members of the National Assembly (MNAs), nine Senators, and a significant number of provincial legislators: 50 from the Punjab Assembly, 33 from the Sindh Assembly, 28 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and seven from the Balochistan Assembly.

Syed Ali Musa Gilani, Abdul Qadir Gilani, Abdul Hakeem Baloch, Arshad Abdullah Vohra, Khali Maqbool Siddiqui and Saira Tarar are among those who have been suspended by the electoral body from the lower house.

The senators suspended by the ECP include Abid Sher Ali, Musadik Masood Malik, Murad Saeed and Noor-ul-Haq Qadri.

Those suspended from Sindh Assembly include Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman Khan, Saeed Ghani, Jam Khan Shoro, Syed Awais Qadir Shah and Syed Qaim Ali Shah and those suspended from Punjab include Rana Sikandar Hayat, Amir Hayat Hiraj and Waqar Ahmad Cheema.

A day ago, the ECP had warned the lawmakers of NA, Senate and provincial assemblies to submit details of their assets, or their membership would be suspended.

READ MORE: Wealth statements: Lawmakers failing to submit by midnight to be suspended

Under the Elections Act 2017, lawmakers are required to submit their financial statements by December 31 each year, with a final grace period ending in mid-January.

Any member who fails to submit these details by the January 15 grace period faces immediate suspension of their membership on January 16, under Section 137(3).

“The Commission shall, on the sixteenth day of January, by an order suspend the membership of a member of an assembly and Senate who fails to submit the statement of assets and liabilities by the fifteenth day of January and such member shall cease to function till he files the statement of assets and liabilities,” this Section reads.

The legislators should also file the financial statements of their spouse and dependent children on Form-B by June 30 every year.

The suspended members are barred from participating in legislative proceedings or exercising any parliamentary functions until their assets are declared and their membership is formally restored.

More to follow…