ECP to suspend 518 MPs failing to submit assets by Jan 15

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a directive to 518 members of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies, instructing them to submit their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2023-24 by January 15, 2025.

Failure to comply by this deadline will result in the suspension of their membership, effective from January 16.

According to the ECP notification, 518 parliamentarians, including 23 from the Senate, 116 from the National Assembly, 208 from the Punjab Assembly, 55 from the Sindh Assembly, 91 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and 25 from the Balochistan Assembly, have not yet submitted the required details.

The ECP had initially set the deadline of December 31, 2024, for the submission of these statements, which must include details of the assets and liabilities of members, as well as those of their spouse and dependent children, as of June 30 of the previous year.

The Commission emphasized that this is a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017, aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in public office.

The Commission further stated that any member failing to submit the required statement by January 15 will have their membership suspended starting January 16. Such members will cease to function in their respective assemblies until they file the necessary documents. Additionally, any member who submits a false statement of assets and liabilities could face legal action under the offence of corrupt practice within 120 days from the submission date.

The prescribed form, along with detailed instructions and guidelines, is available for free from the Election Commission Secretariat in Islamabad, provincial election commissioners’ offices, and the secretariats of the Senate, National Assembly, and provincial assemblies.