ECP asks parliamentarians to submit asset and liabilities statements by December 31

ECP's Elections Act, 2017, requires lawmakers to submit yearly asset statements by December 31 or face suspension.

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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has instructed Members of Parliament and Provincial Assemblies to submit their yearly Statements of Assets and Liabilities, including those of their spouse and dependent children, for the financial year 2023-24 by 31st December, 2024.

The submission must be made on Form-B and should reflect the assets and liabilities as of 30th June, 2024.

According to the ECP statement issued here, the submission being a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017, which is reproduced below: -“137. Submission of statement of assets and liabilities. —

(1) Every Member of an Assembly and Senate shall submit to the Commission, on or before 31st December each year, a copy of his statement of assets and liabilities including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children as on the preceding thirtieth day of June on Form-B.

(2) The Commission, on the first day of January each year through a press release, shall publish the names of Members who failed to submit the requisite statement of assets and liabilities within the period specified under sub-section (1).

(3) The Commission shall, on the sixteenth day of January, by an order suspend the membership of a Member of an Assembly and Senate who fails to submit the statement of assets and liabilities by the fifteenth day of January and such Member shall cease to function till he files the statement of assets and liabilities.

(4) Where a Member submits the statement of assets and liabilities under this section which is found to be false in material particulars, he may, within one hundred and twenty days from the date submission of the statement, be proceeded against for committing the offence of corrupt practice.”

The prescribed Form-B along with instructions / guidelines prepared in this regard can be obtained free of cost from the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad, offices of Provincial Election Commissioners of respective Province, Senate Secretariat, National Assembly Secretariat and Secretariats of concerned Provincial Assemblies.

Moreover, Form-B can also be downloaded from the ECP’s Website i.e. www.ecp.gov.pk.