ECP suspends membership of 159 lawmakers over failure to submit financial statements

• Action taken after members failed to meet January 15 deadline.
• Punjab Assembly tops list with suspension of 50 lawmakers.
• Ex-Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah, Minister Saeed Ghani also suspended.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of as many as 159 lawmakers belonging to different legislatures for failing to submit their financial statements.

According to a notification issued by the ECP, the membership of 32 MNAs, 50 Punjab Assembly members, 33 Sindh Assembly lawmakers, 28 KP Assembly members, seven Balochistan Assembly members and nine senators have been suspended. 

It said Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, Federal Education Minister and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Syed Ali Musa Gilani and Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Saira Tarar are among those whose memberships have been suspended.

Similarly, the election watchdog also suspended the membership of nine Senators, including Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik, PML-N’s Abid Sher Ali and Murad Saeed of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

The suspension came a day after the ECP warned members who had failed to file their details to do so by January 15 or face suspension.

The ECP also suspended the memberships of 50 members of the Punjab Assembly, including Rana Sikandar Hayat, Adnan Dogar, and Aamir Hayat Hiraj.

Similarly, 33 members of the Sindh Assembly were suspended, including Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, and provincial minister Saeed Ghani.

Moreover, the Election Commission suspended the memberships of 28 lawmakers from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and seven from the Balochistan Assembly.

All members of the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies are required to submit complete details of their assets and liabilities to the Election Commission by December 31 each year. They must also file the financial statements of their spouse and dependent children on Form-B by June 30 annually.

Failure to submit these details will result in the suspension of the member’s membership until the statement is filed with the commission. During the suspension period, members will be barred from attending sessions and taking part in legislative business, including voting on motions of confidence.