Curtain raiser: PTI to move resolution to verify MPs’ assets

Opposition PPP has called upon the PM to attend today’ session so that they can discuss their issues

ISLAMABAD:

There are a fair number of lawmakers who have accumulated vast assets through multi-million investments both in Pakistan and abroad but when they share their assets record with the election commission, their statement appears to be full of holes.

Questions therefore continue to be raised about ‘truthfulness’ of the lawmakers’ statement of assets and liabilities submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Every single elected member of parliament is supposed to submit these details in the month of September but this time Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is lobbying  for a verification system.



Senator Azam Swati of the PTI is expected to move a resolution in the Senate on Mondayduring its first sitting on Monday (today), for a mechanism to check and verify the details submitted by the MPs.

“This house recommends that the ECP should evolve an effective mechanism to check and verify the truthfulness of the statements of assets and liabilities submitted to it by the parliamentarians, to award punishment in case of making false statement and to frame rules in this regard, if required,” reads the motion to be moved by Swati.

It is mandatory, under section 42A of Representation of the People Act 1976, for every elected member to submit a statement of assets and liabilities of his own, his spouse and dependents by September 13, every year.

The sub-section 3 says, “The commissioner shall, by the fifteenth day of October each year, notify the names of the members who fail to file statements of assets and liabilities within the period specified in sub-section (1) and by an order, direct that such member shall cease to function till such statement is submitted.”

With regard to the false statements sub-section 4 says: “Where a member submits the statement of assets and liabilities under sub-section (1) which is found to be false in material particulars, he may be proceeded against under section 82 for committing the offence of corrupt practice.”

“Any person guilty of illegal practice shall be punishable with 1[imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and fine which may extend to five] thousand rupees,” says section 82(2) of the RPA 1976. However, there is not a single case in which an MP was punished for submission of false information to the ECP.

In addition to the resolution and several motions for debate on a variety of issues, fireworks are expected in the upper house as the session is summoned on the requisition of opposition and the leading opposition party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has demanded that the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should attend the proceedings so that they can discuss their issues.

According to the agenda, Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid will introduce a bill, if permission is granted, to amend the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 [The Pakistan Environmental Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2015].

Senator Samina Abid will introduce a bill – the Working Women (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2015 – to provide certain facilities to the working/employed women whereas Senator Raheela Magsi will introduce a bill – the Fair Representation of Women Bill, 2015 – to amend certain laws of the federal government for the purposes of fair representation of women and their empowerment.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th,  2015.