Assets and liabilities: 150 lawmakers face suspension
All members of Senate, National, Provincial Assemblies have to file yearly statements of their assets and liabilities.
ISLAMABAD:
Approximately 150 members of parliament and provincial assemblies face suspension on Monday for failing to file statements of their assets, a yearly legal requirement for the country’s lawmakers.
Sources in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told The Express Tribune that a grace period of 15 days had lapsed on Saturday, though many members were yet to submit their financial details. Under Section 42A of the Representation of the People Act and Section 25A of the Senate (Election) Act, all the members of Senate, National and Provincial Assemblies have to file yearly statements of their assets and liabilities, as well as those of their spouses and dependents, by September 30 every year.
The rules are unambiguous in terms of failure to submit a statement. “The chief election commissioner shall, by October 15, notify the names of members who fail to file statements of assets and liabilities within the specified period and, by an order, direct that such members shall cease to function till such statement is submitted,” the law reads.
Officially the ECP should have revealed the names of members who did not file their statements on Saturday. Due to the official holiday the commission is now likely to issue a notification on Monday, an official from the ECP said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.
Approximately 150 members of parliament and provincial assemblies face suspension on Monday for failing to file statements of their assets, a yearly legal requirement for the country’s lawmakers.
Sources in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told The Express Tribune that a grace period of 15 days had lapsed on Saturday, though many members were yet to submit their financial details. Under Section 42A of the Representation of the People Act and Section 25A of the Senate (Election) Act, all the members of Senate, National and Provincial Assemblies have to file yearly statements of their assets and liabilities, as well as those of their spouses and dependents, by September 30 every year.
The rules are unambiguous in terms of failure to submit a statement. “The chief election commissioner shall, by October 15, notify the names of members who fail to file statements of assets and liabilities within the specified period and, by an order, direct that such members shall cease to function till such statement is submitted,” the law reads.
Officially the ECP should have revealed the names of members who did not file their statements on Saturday. Due to the official holiday the commission is now likely to issue a notification on Monday, an official from the ECP said.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2011.