ISLAMABAD     -   The Election Commission of Pakistan yesterday drew attention of the members of Parliament and provincial assemblies to submit yearly statements of assets and liabilities by 31st December. The electoral watchdog asked the parliamentarians to submit yearly statements of assets and liabilities including their spouse and dependent children on Form-B for the financial years 2021-2022 being a mandatory requirement under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017. Under the submission of statement of assets and liabilities, “ 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 as on the preceding 13th day of June on Form B,”.  It says, “The Commission, on the first day of January each year through a press release, shall publish the names of members who failed to submit the requisite statement of assets and liabilities within the period specified under sub-section (1)”.  Under section -137, “ The Commission shall, on the sixteenth day of January, by an order suspend the membership of a Member of an Assembly and Senate who fails to submit the statement of assets and liabilities by the 15th day of January and such member shall cease to function till he files the statement of assets and liabilities”.

It says, “Where a member submits the statement of assets and liabilities under this section which is found to be false in material particulars, he may, within 120 days from the date of submission of the statement, be proceeded against for committing the offence of corrupt practice.”

The members were informed  that the prescribed form along with instructions / guidelines prepared in this regard can be obtained free of cost from the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad, offices of Provincial Election Commissioners in each Province, Senate Secretariat, National Assembly Secretariat and Secretariats of Provincial Assemblies. Moreover, Form-B can also be downloaded from the ECP’s Website i.e. www.ecp.gov.pk.