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ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday directed members of parliament and provincial assemblies to submit their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2025-26 by December 31, as required under the law.

In a statement, the commission said the declarations must include the assets and liabilities of lawmakers, their spouses and dependent children as of June 30, 2026, and must be submitted on the prescribed Form-B.

The requirement is mandatory under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017, the ECP said, urging members of the Senate, National Assembly and provincial assemblies to file their statements within the stipulated period.

Under the law, the ECP will publish on January 1, 2027 the names of members who fail to submit their statements by the December 31, 2026 deadline.

Members who remain in default face suspension of their membership. The commission is required to suspend the membership of a member who fails to file the statement by January 15, through an order issued on January 16.

Such a member will cease to function until the statement of assets and liabilities is submitted, according to Section 137.

The law also provides for action against a member whose declaration is found to contain materially false information. Such a member may be proceeded against for the offence of corrupt practice within 120 days of submission of the statement.

The ECP said Form-B, along with the relevant instructions and guidelines, was available free of cost from its secretariat in Islamabad, the offices of provincial election commissioners, the Senate Secretariat, the National Assembly Secretariat and the secretariats of the respective provincial assemblies.

The prescribed form can also be downloaded from the ECP website.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026