PTI Raises Concerns Over Lawmakers’ Asset Secrecy Bill
ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, PTI MNA Asad Qaiser spoke in the National Assembly, criticizing the recently passed bill that allows secrecy of parliamentarians’ assets. He stressed that lawmakers should not be treated differently from ordinary citizens, declared PTI’s withdrawal of support for the bill, and called for its repeal.
As per Section 137 of the Elections Act, every member of the National and Provincial Assemblies is required to submit an annual statement of their assets and liabilities, including those of their spouses and dependent children, to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by December 31. Section 138 of the Act mandates the ECP to make these asset declarations publicly available through the official gazette.
The proposed amendment to Section 138 introduces a provision allowing the Speaker of the relevant Assembly or the Chairman of the Senate, upon a written application and documented reasoning, to prevent the public disclosure of a member’s asset statement for up to one year. This exemption can be granted if publication is considered a serious threat to the safety of the member or their family, provided that a full and accurate statement is still submitted confidentially to the ECP.
