159 Lawmakers Suspended for Hiding Asset Details

News Desk

Islamabad: In a major enforcement action aimed at strengthening financial transparency, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the memberships of 159 lawmakers from the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies for failing to submit mandatory statements of assets and liabilities.

According to an ECP notification, those suspended include 32 members of the National Assembly, nine senators, and 118 members of provincial assemblies — 50 from Punjab, 33 from Sindh, 28 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and seven from Balochistan.

The list cuts across party lines and seniority. Among the suspended lawmakers are Sindh Assembly Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah, Federal Minister for Education and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Syed Ali Musa Gilani and Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Saira Tarar.

The Senate suspensions include PML-N leaders Abid Sher Ali and Dr Musadik Malik, as well as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Murad Saeed. In the Punjab Assembly, prominent figures such as Rana Sikandar Hayat, Adnan Dogar and Aamir Hayat Hiraj were among the 50 members suspended. From Sindh, former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and provincial minister Saeed Ghani were also affected.

The action follows an ECP warning issued a day earlier, directing lawmakers who had not filed their financial statements to do so by January 15 or face suspension.

Under election laws, all members of the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies are required to submit annual statements of assets and liabilities to the ECP by December 31. In addition, details of the assets of their spouse and dependent children must be filed on Form-B by June 30 each year.

The ECP clarified that the suspensions will remain in effect until the required statements are submitted. During the suspension period, affected lawmakers will be barred from attending legislative sessions, participating in debates, or voting on any matter, including motions of confidence.

The move is being seen as a rare show of regulatory assertiveness by the election watchdog, as questions continue to be raised over compliance with transparency and accountability requirements by elected representatives.