ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday suspended the membership of 159 lawmakers for failing to submit their asset and liability statements by the due date of January 15.
As per the law, they will cease to function as members with immediate effect until they file these statements.
The ECP had reminded the ‘defaulting’ lawmakers on Thursday to submit the details of their assets and liabilities, including those of their spouse and dependent children, for the financial year 2024-25, warning of suspension if they failed to do so by the deadline.
Of the 159 suspended members, 32 are from the National Assembly, nine from the Senate, 50 from the Punjab Assembly, 33 from the Sindh Assembly, 28 from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and seven from the Balochistan Assembly. Last year, the membership of 139 legislators was suspended for the same reason.
National Assembly members Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Syed Ali Musa Gilani, and Senator Musadik Malik are among those suspended for failing to submit the required documents on time. Saeed Ghani and Hafiz Naeeemur Rehman are among the affected lawmakers from the Sindh Assembly.
Under Section 137 of the Elections Act, 2017, the submission of asset details is mandatory. Section 137 (1) stipulates that “every member of an assembly and Senate shall submit to the commission, on or before Dec 31 each year, a copy of his statement of assets and liabilities, including assets and liabilities of his spouse and dependent children as on the preceding thirtieth day of June on Form B”.
Meanwhile, the ECP summoned the Punjab chief secretary and LG secretary to appear in person on January 22 to explain missing the timelines of activities, with regards to holding local government polls in the province.
According to the cause list, uploaded on its website, the commission has fixed the matter for ‘hearing and further proceedings at the ECP Secretariat at 10am.
The term of the local governments in Pakistan’s largest province had expired in 2021 on December 31 and despite the legal requirement of holding the LG polls within 120 days, the ECP could not conduct the electoral exercise hitherto. Taking serious note of failures by the province to meet the timelines for various activities required to pave the way for the conduct of local government elections in the province, the ECP had earlier this week had decided to take up the for hearing the matter of the long-delayed polls.
This was despite the fact that the assurance to complete the prerequisites for LG polls had been given to the commission in October last year by the Punjab chief secretary, who had himself provided the timelines. Expressing the ECP’s disappointment, a letter was sent to the LG secretary and Community Development Department, Punjab, Lahore.
Meanwhile, the ECP issued a schedule for delimitation of wards in 42 cantonment boards in the four provinces for local government elections. According to the notification, the process will commence on January 19 and the notification of final list of delimitation of wards by the delimitation committees will be issued on April 20.
“In exercise of powers conferred upon it under Article 140-A (2), Article-222 (b) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Sections-17 and 221 of the Elections Act, 2017, Chapter III (B) of the Election Rules, 2017, Section19-B of the Cantonments Act, 1924 (amended upto 2023) read with Rules 6 and 7 of the Cantonments Local Government (Election) Rules, 2015 and all other powers enabling it in that behalf, the Election Commission of Pakistan is pleased to issue the Schedule for Delimitation of Wards in 42 Cantonment Boards in the four Provinces,” says the notification.
Meanwhile, the ECP withdrew the schedule for local government polls in Islamabad.
A notification issued by the ECP stated: “Consequent upon the promulgation of Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026 dated 10th January, 2026 by the Federal Government, wherein the structure of Local Governments and mode of Local Government Elections in Islamabad Capital Territory have been changed. Resultantly, the Election Commission of Pakistan hereby recalls Election Programme of Local Government Elections in Islamabad Capital Territory issued vide notifications No.F.1(2)/2025-LGE-ICT (Vol-II) dated 9th December, 2025 and 26th December, 2025 respectively.” The development follows the promulgation of an ordinance that changed the structure of local government and the mode of elections in the federal capital, leaving the electoral body with no option but to withdraw its schedule. The ordinance, promulgated last Monday, introduces several amendments to the Local Government Act, 2015. Besides replacing the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) with three town corporations, it gives a government-appointed administrator more powers and an indefinite tenure.
More than 4,000 candidates had filed nomination papers from all 125 union councils of the federal capital, along with a Rs2,000 non-refundable fee.
The ordinance puts a question mark on the fate of the elections and when they might be conducted. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has claimed that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz brought this ordinance in view of its impending defeat in the LG polls.
Reacting to the development, PTI Islamabad Region President Aamir Mughal noted that this was the fourth cancellation of local government elections in Islamabad by the ECP. He wondered how long the ‘illegal’ MNAs of the government would continue to flee elections.
He pointed out that even in difficult circumstances, his party fielded candidates from all three constituencies of Islamabad. More than 25 candidates were elected unopposed from all over Islamabad, which he called “an expression of the people’s love for ‘Prisoner 804’.”
