Non-submission of assets details: ECP suspends membership of 150 MPs

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday notified suspension of 150 legislators, including federal ministers Shafqat Mehmood and Hammad Azhar as well as Noorul Haq Qadri, Dr Fehmida Mirza and State Minister Farrukh Habib for their failure to submit details of their assets and liabilities to the electoral body.

According to the notification issued by the Election Commission, the membership of three senators, 36 members of National Assembly, 69 members of Punjab Assembly, 14 members of Sindh Assembly, 21 members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 7 members of Balochistan Assembly has been suspended for their inability to fulfill the annual legal requirement.

Several lawmakers, who made their way to the respective legislatures, on reserved seats have also been suspended till the time they fulfill the legal requirement. The senators whose membership has been suspended include Musadik Malik of PML-N, Senator Dr Sikandar Mandhro of Pakistan People’s Party and Prince Ahmed Omar Ahmadzai elected from Balochistan.

The membership of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and PTI member Aslam Khan from Karachi has also been suspended. Moreover, PTI’s Amir Liaquat also has faced same fate.

Several opposition members, including PPP MNAs Raja Pervez Ashraf and Abid Hussain are also on the list. In the notification, the ECP said that under section 137 and sub-section one of the Election Act 2017, every member of the assembly must provide details of assets of himself and his spouse and dependent children to the ECP before December 31 of each year.

Under sub-section 3 of Section 137 of the Elections Act, the membership of members of the assembly and senators who fail to submit details of their assets by January 15 is suspended on January 16.

The ECP said that under the related provision of the Elections Act, the membership of 150 members of the assembly has been suspended and these members will not act as members of legislatures till they submit the details of their assets.

The Election Commission last year suspended the membership of 154 members of the four provincial assemblies, the National Assembly and the Senate, including the federal ministers, for not submitting the details of assets despite the deadline.