Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Wednesday said that 660 parliamentarians have so far submitted their yearly statements of assets and liabilities of their own, spouses and dependents with the Commission. According to the ECP, the membership of the parliamentarians failing to submit assets and liabilities details by October 15 will be suspended. Earlier, the ECP had set September 30 as the validity date of filing yearly statements of assets and liabilities for MNAs and MPAs.
This is a mandatory requirement under Section 42A of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 and Section 25A of the Senate (Election) Act, 1975. On Wednesday, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister Balochistan Sanaullah Zehri, Ahtizaz Ahsan, Farooq H Naik and Hamza Sharif submitted their assets' details with the ECP.
Out of total, 70 senators, 214 MNAs, 177 members of Punjab Assembly, 86 members of Sindh Assembly, 66 members of KPK Assembly and 47 members of Balochistan Assembly submitted their yearly statements. Still 514 parliamentarians have not submitted their yearly statements and they include 34 senators, 128 MNAs, 186 members of Punjab Assembly, 73 members of Sindh Assembly, 50 members of KPK Assembly and 18 members of Balochistan Assembly.
At present, there are 1,174 parliamentarians including 104 senators, 342 members of National Assembly, 371 members of Punjab Assembly, 168 members of Sindh Assembly, 124 members of KPK Assembly and 65 members of Balochistan Assembly. The Commission had directed the members of the Parliament and provincial assemblies to submit annual statements of assets and liabilities of their own, spouses and dependents. The defaulters would be suspended from respective seats of assemblies as this is a mandatory requirement under Section 42A of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 and Section 25A of the Senate (Election) Act, 1975.