ECP Suspends 152 Lawmakers for Failing to Submit Asset Declarations

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of 152 lawmakers from the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies for failing to submit their statements of assets and liabilities within the prescribed deadline.

In a statement, the commission said the suspended lawmakers “shall cease to function as members with immediate effect” and will remain suspended until the required declarations are submitted.

A day earlier, the ECP had issued a reminder to all parliamentarians to submit details of their assets and liabilities for the financial year 2024–25, including those of their spouse and dependent children, warning that failure to comply by January 15 would result in suspension.

Among the suspended lawmakers are 32 members of the National Assembly, including Syed Ali Musa Gilani, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and Muhammad Akhtar Mengal. The ECP also suspended nine senators, including Musadik Malik.

Of the suspended members of provincial assemblies, 50 belong to the Punjab Assembly, 33 to the Sindh Assembly, 28 to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and seven to the Balochistan Assembly. From Sindh, notable lawmakers include Saeed Ghani and Hafiz Naeemur Rehman.

The ECP reiterated that submission of asset and liability statements is a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017.

Under Section 137(1) of the Act, every member of an assembly and the Senate is required to submit a statement of assets and liabilities — including those of their spouse and dependent children — to the commission on or before December 31 each year, reflecting their financial position as of June 30 of the preceding year.