ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Asad Qaiser on Thursday objected in the National Assembly to a bill aimed at ensuring secrecy of lawmakers’ asset declarations, saying parliamentarians should not be treated above ordinary citizens. He announced PTI’s dissociation from the amendment, which had been passed a day earlier, and demanded its withdrawal.
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Under Section 137 of the Elections Act, members of parliament and provincial assemblies are required to submit annual statements of their assets and liabilities — including those of their spouses and dependent children — to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by December 31 each year. Section 138 mandates the ECP to publish these declarations in the official gazette.
The newly proposed amendment to Section 138 introduces a proviso allowing the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Chairman of the Senate to withhold public disclosure of a member’s asset statement for up to one year. This exemption may be granted upon a member’s request if public disclosure is deemed to pose a serious threat to the life or safety of the member or their family. In such cases, the complete asset declaration would still be submitted confidentially to the ECP.
Meanwhile, the House also passed the Income Tax Third Amendment Bill 2025, tabled by Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani. The minister said the legislation aimed to protect taxpayers’ rights and further strengthen the Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee.
The National Assembly was also informed that billions of dollars in investment had been attracted through the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said investments had been mobilised across multiple sectors, supported by initiatives including an investment policy framework and a revised visa regime. Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani added that the SIFC operated as a single-window platform to promote investment and transparency.
Additionally, seven new bills were introduced in the House for consideration, including the National Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Authority Bill, the National Archives Amendment Bill 2026, and the Abandoned Properties Management Amendment Bill 2026.
