Non-declaration of assets: Membership of 261 MPs, including ministers, Safdar suspended

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday suspended the membership of 261 lawmakers, including ministers, after they failed to submit their financial details under Sub-section 42A of the Representation of People Act (RoPA).

The suspended legislators include Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s ministers Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, Abid Sher Ali, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Talal Chaudhry. 

Seven senators, 71 members of the National Assembly (MNAs), 84 Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from Punjab, 50 from Sindh, 38 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 11 from Balochistan will not be able to participate in any legislative activity till the time they comply with the legal requirement.

Under the law, all lawmakers, belonging to parliament and four provincial assemblies are required to submit their statement of assets and liabilities and that of their dependents to the Election Commission every year on or before September 30 while the notification about non-filers is issued on October 15. Hence, many legislators benefit from this period of two weeks to file their documents with the Election Commission even after the last date. 

Other lawmakers who have been suspended include MNA Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar, Ayesha Gulalai, Sheharyar Afridi, Owais Leghari, former National Assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, Arif Alvi, and Rasheed Godail.

The electoral body has issued orders to the national and provincial assemblies not to let the non-filers attend any legislative business unless they submit the required documents. Last year, as many as 336 legislators were suspended for their inability to comply with this legal requirement.

“Every member shall, on a form prescribed under clause (f) of sub-section (2) of Section 12, submit a statements of assets & liabilities of his own, his spouse and dependents annually to the Commission by the 30th day of September each year,” the law says. 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 Commission shall, by the 15th day of October each year, notify the names of the members who fail to file statements of assets & liabilities within the period specified in sub-section (1) and by an order, direct that such member shall cease to function till such statement is submitted.

Where a member submits the statements of assets and liabilities under sub-section (1), which is found to be false in material particulars, he may be proceeded against under Section 82 for committing the offence of corrupts practice.

The ECP continues to strive for scientific scrutiny of the statement of assets and liabilities of the legislators, involving the relevant departments, if and when needed. Every year, interesting facts are shared by the lawmakers about their assets: for instance, some own millions but don't possess a vehicle while others are found to be hardly meeting their both ends meet.