The National Assembly (NA) passed on Wednesday the Elections Amendment Bill, 2026, seeking secrecy of parliamentarians’ assets, amid opposition by the PTI.
Under Section 137 of the Elections Act, all members of the NA, Senate, and provincial assemblies are required to submit to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on or before Dec 31 each year, a statement of their assets and liabilities, including those of their spouses and dependent children.
Section 138 of the Elections Act requires the ECP to publish these declarations in the official gazette.
The bill passed by the NA proposes an amendment to Section 138 of the Elections Act, seeking to insert a proviso stating: “Provided that the speaker of the assembly concerned or, as the case may be, the chairman of the Senate may, on an application made by a member for reasons to be recorded in writing, by a ruling delivered in the chamber, determine that the statement of assets and liabilities of that member shall not be published publicly by the commission if such publication would pose a serious threat to the life or safety of the members or, as the case may be, his family, for a period not exceeding one year at a time and subject to the condition that a complete and true statement of assets and liabilities shall be submitted confidentially to the Election Commission.”
This means that following the submission of a written application by a parliamentarian, the NA speaker or Senate chairperson could bar the ECP from publicly publishing details of the assets of that member if it would “pose a serious threat to the life or safety” of that individual or their family.
The amendment proposes that this restriction will remain in place for not more than a year and was subject to the submission of “a complete and true statement of assets and liabilities” to the ECP confidentially.
The bill’s statement of objectives and reasons further elaborates: “The proposed amendment is to ensure a balanced approach between transparency and the protection of individual rights.
“While the publication of statements of assets and liabilities serves a vital role in promoting public accountability, enhancing trust in public office, and ensuring good governance, it is recognised that unrestricted or excessive disclosure could potentially compromise the personal security and privacy of parliamentarians and their families.”
Moreover, the bill also proposes replacing the word “Supreme” with “Federal Constitutional” in several places to represent the newly established Federal Constitutional Court under the 27th Amendment.
The bill needs the Senate’s assent and the president’s approval before it becomes law.