ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan on Wednesday suspended membership of three hundred and thirty-two parliamentarians for failing to submit details of their assets and liabilities to the Commission.
A notification to this effect was issued by the election commission today (Wednesday) stating that these members will remain suspended till they file details of their assets and liabilities.
Those suspended include twenty senators, seventy two members of National Assembly, 20 members of the Senate, 115 members of Punjab Assembly, fifty-two members of Sindh Assembly, fifty-four members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and nineteen members of Balochistan Assembly.
The suspended lawmakers include Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, National Health Services Minister Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Housing Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema PML-N's Ahsan Iqbal and BNP-M's Akhtar Mengal.
The move comes after ECP moved a summary to the Chief Election Commissioner for decision about the fate of those MPs who had failed to file their declarations even after fifteen days extension of 31 December timeline that also expired on January 15.
The total number of members in the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies is 1,174, said the ECP. The ECP in its notification said that the Elections Act 2017 requires that "every Member of an Assembly and Senate shall submit to the Commission, on or before 31st December each year, a copy of his statement of assets and liabilities including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children".
Those who have failed to submit the details "shall cease to function as members with immediate effect till such statements are submitted by them", the ECP has informed the suspended lawmakers.
Following suspension, the lawmakers will not be able to participate in the activities of the House or participate in assembly sessions and the lawmaking process.
PARTIES TO MOVE ECP OVER BARA CONSTITUENCY
Political workers from various political parties in the newly merged Khyber tribal district have decided to move to the Election Commission of Pakistan to reconsider the demarcation of the Bara constituency.
They were of the view that proposed Bara constituency is the longest provincial assembly constituency of the country stretching over a distance of 140 kilometres.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has established three hundred and nine centres for registration and transfer of votes in tribal districts.
According to ECP voters of tribal districts have been asked to ensure registration of their votes on permanent or temporary addresses written in their computerised national identity cards till 29th of this month.