Three PM aides fail to submit asset statements

Three advisers to the interim prime minister have failed to submit their statements of assets and liabilities to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) months after the deadline lapsed, it emerged on Friday.

The three advisors to PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar include Air Marshal (retd) Farhat Hussain Khan, Ahad Khan Cheema, and Dr Waqar Masood Khan.

Farhat holds the portfolio of aviation, Ahad was given the establishment while finance was allocated to Waqar.

Farhat and Ahad have the status of federal ministers while Waqar minister of state.

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The advisers were supposed to submit their statements of assets and liabilities within three days from the date of assumption of office but they haven’t yet.

Subsequently, the ECP has written a letter to the Cabinet Division secretary requesting to “obtain the requisite statement of assets and liabilities (Form-B) from the advisers to the caretaker prime minister and furnish the same to the ECP for necessary action”.

Through the latter dated Dec 1, 2023, the ECP has drawn the attention towards the “mandatory submission of Statement of Assets and Liabilities on Form-B within provided time under Section 230 (3) of the Elections Act, 2017 by the caretaker prime minister and members of his cabinet”.

Section 230(3) states: “The prime minister, chief minister or a minister or any other members of a caretaker government shall, within three days from the date of assumption of office, submit to the commission a statement of assets and liabilities, including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children, as on the preceding 30th day of June on Form B and the commission shall publish the statement of assets and liabilities in the official gazette.”

Section 230(4) states that the caretaker government in the section meant the caretaker federal government or an interim provincial government.

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“In terms of above quoted section of the act, the statement of assets and liabilities is also required to be submitted by all members, including advisers to the caretaker prime minister,” the ECP stated in the letter.

After mentioning the advisers’ names, portfolios, and status, the ECP has asked the cabinet secretary to obtain the same from them and furnish to the commission for necessary action under section ibid at the earliest.

Earlier, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had also demanded of the government to make it mandatory for the public office holders and civil servants to make public details of their and their families’ assets.

The IMF believes that any important position holder drawing salary from the budget should disclose assets to ensure transparency.

Reportedly, the government had agreed to publicly disclose asset declarations filed by politically exposed persons, civil servants, and their spouses. The move was aimed at meeting a condition set by IMF.

Apart from the advisers, the law requires all the legislators to submit statements of their assets, those of their spouse, and dependent children with the ECP each year.

However, the ECP has to chase lawmakers on an annual basis as it has to repeatedly remind them to submit details of their assets before the deadline as they usually miss it.

The requirement of the ECP as well as the IMF for the high-level public office holders and civil servants to submit asset details and their public disclosure is to ensure transparency.