Fifty-eight lawmakers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) have failed to file statements of their assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) although the deadline set by the ECP was September 30.
A senior official of the ECP, while requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune on Tuesday that out of the 58 lawmakers, 47 are K-P MPAs, while others include Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, four MNAs and two Senators.
“As a mandatory requirement under Section 42A of the Representation of the People Act 1976 and Section 25A of the Senate (Elections) Act 1975, all members of parliament and provincial assemblies are required to submit to the ECP annual statements of assets and liabilities of themselves, their spouse and dependants,” he said.
According to the ECP official, the commission had only received statements from 77 legislators from K-P, serving in the provincial assembly and in the parliament. However, the ECP has given a 15-day extension period and if the remaining lawmakers do not file their details by then, their membership would be suspended, he said.
“The commission will continue to accept statements till October 15. Those who fail to submit asset details by then would no longer have any practical role in legislation,” he stated.
Media Adviser and spokesperson for the CM Shiraz Paracha said Khattak will submit his statement of assets and liabilities to the ECP before October 15.
“The delay is not deliberate. The government is busy dealing with various challenges confronting K-P,” he insisted.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Gandapur said he had already posted the required statement on Monday. “Earlier, the process used to be simpler. New changes have been made to the form which has complicated the process and made it difficult,” he said.
The minister shared this was the second time this year that he had submitted these documents, including income tax returns.
However, Minister for Local Government and Elections and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan said he had not yet filed the documents. He insisted he would do so within the next two days.
The K-P assembly lawmakers who have yet to submit their details include Adviser to CM on Relief Rehabilitation and Settlement Yaseen Khan Khalil, Minister for Transport Malik Qasim Khan Khattak, Minister for Prisons Arbab Akbar Hayat, Arif Yousaf, Arbab Jehandad Khan, Fazal Elahi, Javed Nasim, Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, Ziaullah Afridi, Syed Mohammad Ishtiaq, Muhammad Zahid Durani, Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Khaliqur Rehman, Qurban Ali Khan, Fazal Shakur, Khalid Khan, Muhammad Arif, Muhammad Khan Bahadur, Muhammad Atif, Amid Ali Afridi, Ziaullah Bangash, Gul Sahib Khan, Malik Qasim Khan, Shah Faisal Khan, Mufti Sayed Janan, Sardar Muhammad Idrees, Yousaf Ayub Khan, Sardar Zahoor Khan, Wajihu Zaman Khan, Nawabzada Wali Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Usmanullah, Abdul Sattar Khan, Maulana Lutfur Rehman, Javed Akbar Khan, Muhammad Khan, Anwar Hayat Khan, Maulana Mufti Fazal Ghafur, Fazal Hakeem, Muhammad Irshad Khan, Abdul Munim Khan, Inayatullah Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, Aamna Sardar, Sobia Shahid and Nighat Orakzai.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 9th, 2013.
COMMENTS (23)
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Parvez Khattak out to take time out of his busy schedule (being in Banigala 6 days of the week) and do the needful. I reckon that his assets details are not even posted on the much heralded insaf.pk
Corrupt Khan
@Ali
Is not it a good enough reason the PTI is particularly being mentioned that the bulk of MPAs who have failed to declare their assets comes from KP and the PTI (47 out of 58)? It would have been biased on the part of ET only had the majority guys been ignored and only the minority talked about. I am a PTI supporter but that does not mean I must have unconditional loyalties to the party no matter what they do or fail to do what they must be doing. PTI must be criticized for their shortcomings and failures, and their weaknesses pointed out, only then can you expect them to mend their ways, justifying their wrongs and their incompetence will only perpetuate the mess we are in, and give these lawmakers a false sense of being right and being wanted.
Submitting details of assets in time is one thing but submitting 'correct' details is more important. I am sure majority have declared false details including our Prime minister.
Please disqualify them
Thanks again for another biased headline !!
Very interesting!! They should declare their assests anyway. ET should do a story on Earthquake struck Baluchistan where we are still waiting for a cabinet!!! Sadly our media isn't putting an eye on a humanitarian crisis!! More eager to complain on PTI lawmakers assets!!
"The delay is not deliberate. The government is busy dealing with various challenges confronting K-P".
The CM had plenty of time to file his assets but he chose to spend time in Nathia Gali rather then file assets.
@Waqas: Khattak sahib is in the lime light coz ET wants him to be. ET is hopeless. No one answers our question that many other law makers have not submitted the assets declaration. ET doesnot bother asking them? I have closly watched ET's every article. It is anti-PTI for sure. You will notice it if you judge it unbiasedly.
He is so honest he has nothing to prove!
Wow new Pakistan is not that new after all. Predictably now PTI trollers will criticize ET for naming Mr. Khattak while several other MP's have not filed their asset details as yet. So dear friends the reason your beloved CM is in the lime lite is because Mr. Khan criticized ppl not filing there assets for a good 10 years so he should make sure that his party members are the first ones to do so. And also on the fake degrees he criticized no less but Sharif's and Zardari when someone from their party had fake degrees and ultimately only 3 months into his KP gov tenure some MP's were caught coz of fake degrees, so in short he should act on what he said. I will be the first one to praise him for this.
its a fact, PTI's lawmakers are too busy that why
oh so what
ET so cute
PTI leaders have declared their assets & its on pti website http://insaf.pk/AboutUs/LeadershipAssets/tabid/313/Default.aspx but if CM KPK did not submit their asset then he should
good
so all of you are pious people haan !!
ET let it go PM Nawaz Sharif hasn't submitted it yet, that should be your headline, obsession with PTI is not healthy. You never had any credibility but now you are deep in yellow journalism
Another anti PTI story on the front cover of ET. We get your point. IK is the root cause of all problems in Pakistan, and Nawaz, Zardari, MQM and co are all angels. Where's the news on proof of MQM rigging in one of the constituencies in Karachi and stealing PTI mandate? That news is no where in your paper. But then again, you're a Karachi based newspaper and have a vested interest in keeping MQM happy. Shame on ET that such a big story which is in public interest as it directly impacts public since their mandate is stolen doesn't even make news. Biased journalism and sold out media is as big a problem for Pakistan as the dishonest and corrupt leaders. Please allow this comment to be released.
Yes, only KPK lawmakers have not done so. Rest ALL lawmakers of other three provincial assemblies have submitted their asset details.Right @ET? I know it is worthless expecting objectivity from you but please look hard may be you will find some shame hiding behind your big editorial agenda & biased reporting !!!
The ECP was and is a farce.
lol at ET
Imran Khan should practice what he never tires preaching!