ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Elections Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing changes to the Elections Act aimed at allowing limited confidentiality of parliamentarians’ asset declarations, amid strong opposition from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
Under the existing legal framework, Section 137 of the Elections Act requires members of the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies 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 passed bill seeks to amend Section 138 by inserting a proviso that would allow the speaker of the National Assembly or the chairman of the Senate to bar the public disclosure of a member’s asset details under specific circumstances. According to the proposed amendment, a parliamentarian may submit a written application requesting non-publication of their asset statement if disclosure would pose a “serious threat to the life or safety” of the member or their family.
If approved, the speaker or Senate chairman would be required to record reasons in writing and issue a ruling in the chamber. The restriction on publication would apply for a maximum period of one year at a time, while the concerned member would still be obligated to submit a complete and true statement of assets and liabilities confidentially to the ECP.
The bill’s statement of objectives and reasons said the amendment aims to strike a balance between transparency and personal security. While acknowledging that public disclosure of assets promotes accountability, good governance and public trust, it noted that unrestricted disclosure could compromise the privacy and safety of lawmakers and their families in certain situations.
In addition to asset-related changes, the bill also proposes replacing references to the “Supreme Court” with the “Federal Constitutional Court” in several sections of the Elections Act, reflecting the establishment of the new court under the 27th Constitutional Amendment.
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The proposed legislation had previously faced resistance. In August last year, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs failed to reach a consensus on the bill after members from both the PML-N and PTI opposed a similar proposal moved by PPP lawmakers Shazia Marri and Syed Naveed Qamar. This time, however, the bill was opposed only by the PTI.
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.https://t.co/fKlzTtkfur
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 21, 2026
During Wednesday’s session, Standing Committee Chairperson Rana Iradat Sharif Khan presented the committee’s report, after which the House debated and passed the bill.
The legislation will now be sent to the Senate for approval and will require the president’s assent before becoming law. If enacted, the amendment could significantly alter the framework governing public access to lawmakers’ asset declarations in Pakistan.
