Pakistan Election Commission has suspended the membership of 231 lawmakers, including Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who failed to submit statements of their assets and liabilities within a stipulated deadline.
A spokesman for the panel said the body had suspended the membership of 13 members of the Senate or upper house of parliament, 103 members of National Assembly or lower house of parliament and 115 members of the assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Among those whose membership was suspended are Finance Minister Abdul Hafiz Shaikh, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani.
Out of a total of 1,170 provincial and federal lawmakers, 936 had submitted statements of assets and liabilities.
According to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act of 1976, every lawmaker should submit a statement of assets and liabilities annually to the Election Commission by September 30, the spokesman said.
Full Article: The Hindu : News / International : Pak Election Commission suspends membership of 231 lawmakers.
