Assets of lawmakers, dependents: ECP mulling placing statements on its website again

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been considering a recommendation of Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms for placing the statements of assets of lawmakers and their dependents on its website again. An official of ECP told Business Recorder that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took notice of the removal of statement of assets of lawmakers and their dependents from the official website of the ECP and directed Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to ensure the placement of those statements on its website again.
Ishaq Dar as chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms approached the ECP and requested the annual statements of lawmakers be made available on the website, however, the commission had yet to take any final decision in that regard, the official maintained.
He further said the former Chief Election Commissioner had decided to put the annual statements of lawmakers for year 2013-14 on the website for public information. However, it was against the Representation of the People Act 1976. The Representation of the People Act, 1976 states, "The statements of assets and liabilities submitted under sub-section (1) shall be published in the official Gazette and copies thereof may be obtained on payment of prescribed fee".
The ECP has yet to take decision on placing the statements of assets of members of parliament and provincial assemblies on its website in future on the plea that there was no provision for it in the law. The statements of assets for the financial years, 2013 and 2014, had been placed on the ECP''s website and remained on the website until last week, when they were suddenly removed from the website, leading many to believe it had something to do with the Panama leaks.
Two years ago, the ECP started publishing the asset details of the members of National Assembly and provincial assemblies and the Senate. By September 30 every year, all lawmakers have to submit the information of their assets as well as those owned by their spouses and children. The ECP makes these details public by October 15. Former Secretary ECP told Business Recorder that ECP should take benefit of the technology and disseminate the assets information of the lawmakers through its website for a larger response from the public. Removing the asset details from website meant denying the public access to information, he added.