ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday restored the membership of some 32 parliamentarians from a total of 261 members who had been suspended by the commission over failure to submit statements of their assets and liabilities.
Those whose memberships have been restored include MNAs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Talal Chaudhry and Dr Fehmida Mirza. “The above-mentioned members have now filed the statements of assets and liabilities and have fulfilled the legal requirement,” the ECP informed in a statement.
“In pursuance of the aforesaid provisions of law and in exercise of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, the Election Commission is pleased to restore, subject to all just exceptions, the membership of National Assembly and provincial assemblies, Punjab, Sindh, K-P and Balochistan of the aforesaid persons,” it added.
According to the issued notification, seven senators, 71 MNAs, 84 Punjab Assembly MPAs, 50 Sindh Assembly MPAs, 38 Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa MPAs, and 11 Balochistan MPAs were barred from functioning as members of their respective assemblies
The ECP had earlier issued circulars to the lawmakers under Sub-Section (1) of Section 42A of the Representation of People Act (RoPA) directing them to submit their financial details including those of spouse and children by September 30. Thereafter, the membership of some 261 lawmakers had been suspended for failing to submit their records.
Section 42A of the RoPA, 1976, states: “Every member shall, on a form prescribed under Clause (f) of Sub-Section (2) of Section 12, submit statements of assets and liabilities of his own, his spouse and dependents annually to the commission by the thirtieth day of September each year.”