ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission has suspended 150 federal and provincial lawmakers for failing to submit legally required annual statements of assets and liabilities, highlighting ongoing efforts to promote transparency and curb corruption in public office.
The suspension prevents the lawmakers from participating in parliamentary proceedings until they comply with disclosure rules, which are designed to reveal personal and family wealth and prevent misuse of public office.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the country’s independent electoral authority, said the suspended lawmakers include 32 members of the National Assembly, nine senators, and more than 100 provincial legislators from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
Under Pakistan’s Elections Act of 2017, all elected representatives must submit an annual statement of assets and liabilities for themselves, their spouses, and dependent children. Lawmakers are given a statutory deadline each year, and failure to comply triggers automatic suspension until the filings are completed.
These disclosures are intended to enhance accountability, provide public oversight of politicians’ wealth, and deter corruption. Lawmakers barred from filing their statements are prevented from attending sessions, voting on legislation, or having their presence officially recorded, effectively halting their parliamentary duties.
The ECP said that suspended lawmakers “shall cease to function as members with immediate effect” and can only regain their seats after submitting the required documentation.
This is not the first instance of mass suspension in Pakistan. Last year, 139 lawmakers faced similar action for missing asset declarations, demonstrating the commission’s ongoing effort to enforce transparency in governance.
