446 lawmakers miss ECP asset deadline

ECP warns of suspension if disclosures not submitted by Jan 15

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday flagged widespread non-compliance with asset disclosure requirements, saying that 446 lawmakers, including 125 members of the National Assembly, failed to submit their statements of assets and liabilities by the stipulated December 31 deadline.

The ECP notified legislators who had missed the initial cutoff and directed them to comply by January 15, warning that failure to do so would result in suspension.

"As many as 446 lawmakers failed to submit their statements of assets and liabilities" with the ECP by the due date.

The non-compliant lawmakers include 125 members of the National Assembly, 26 senators, 159 members of the Punjab Assembly, 62 members of the Sindh Assembly, 48 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and 26 members of the Balochistan Assembly.

The commission said members of parliament and provincial assemblies were required to submit a copy of their statements of assets and liabilities, including those of their dependents, by December 31 each year.

It noted that the submission of asset statements is a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017.