ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday restored the membership of another 31 parliamentarians and allowed them to function as members of Senate, National Assembly (NA) and provincial assemblies on submission of their statements of assets and liabilities to the commission.
According to an ECP official, these parliamentarians who were suspended over non-submission of their assets details, now have filed their statements of assets and liabilities and have fulfilled the legal requirement in conformance with relevant election laws.
He said that parliamentarians who have been allowed to function included two members of Senate, 12 members of NA, 11 members of Punjab Assembly and six members of Sindh Assembly.
He said that out of total 1,174 members in the Senate, NA and the four provincial assemblies, 879 have submitted their asset details while the remaining 292 have not fulfilled the requirement.
He added that those parliamentarians who failed to submit their details of assets with the commission included 16 members of Senate, 55 members of NA, 103 members of Punjab Assembly, 46 members Sindh Assembly, 53 members Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and 19 members Balochistan Assembly.
He informed that three provincial assembly seats are vacant while those members who submitted their details included 88 members of Senate, 287 members of NA, 246 members Punjab Assembly, 109 members Sindh Assembly, 70 members Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and 45 members Balochistan Assembly.
It is pertinent to mention here that the commission had suspended the membership of 332 parliamentarians as members of Senate, NA and four provincial assemblies with immediate effects till their statements of assets and liabilities are submitted to the commission.
The Election Rules, 2017 provide that every member of an assembly and Senate would submit to the commission on or before December 1st each year, a copy of his statement of assets and liabilities including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children as on thirtieth day of June on Form B. The election rules provide that the commission on 16th 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 15th day of January and such member will cease to function till he or she files the statement of assets and liabilities.