ECP asks parliamentarians to submit assets

LHC rejects petition seeking banning polls during sacred Islamic calendar months

ISLAMABAD /Lahore– The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the parliamentarians to submit their statements of assets for the financial year 2022-2023.

The ECP on Tuesday issued a statement reminding the lawmakers to meet the legal obligation of filing their yearly statements of assets and liabilities, as well as of their spouses and dependents, by Dec 31.

The last date for submission of these statements of assets under Section 42A of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1976, and Section 25A of the Senate (Elections) Act, 1975, was Sept 30, but a change was brought through the Elections Act, 2017, to make it Dec 31.

Section 137 (1) of the Elections Act reads: “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 30th day of June on

Form B

Earlier,

The Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected a petition, requesting to ban holding elections during the four sacred months of Islamic calendar, while declaring the same as unmaintainable.

In his written verdict on the petition filed by citizen Fahad Aziz, Justice Raheel Kamran said declaring Clause 3 of Section 170 (a) of the Election Act 2017 unconstitutional was not maintainable.

Explaining his reasoning, the learned judge noted that pronouncing any law against Islam and Quran/Sunnah was the sole prerogative of Federal Shariat Court as mentioned in Article 203 (d) of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court or any of the high courts had no authority to interfere in the jurisdiction of the Federal Shariat Court, the judgment read.

In his petition, Aziz had contended that the months of Ziquad, Zilhaj, Rajab and Muharram were sacred, necessitating utmost respect. Holding elections in the past during these months had resulted in violence and killings, he said, adding that the Clause 3 of Section 170 (a) of the Election Act 2017 was against Islamic principles.