NA Passes Bill Allowing Security-Based Asset Disclosure Exemption

The National Assembly has passed the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on Wednesday, introducing provisions that permit lawmakers to seek temporary exemptions from the mandatory public disclosure of their statements of assets and liabilities on grounds of personal or family security. The bill was approved despite objections from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The amendment modifies Section 138 of the Elections Act, 2017, empowering the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Chairman of the Senate to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to withhold public release of a member’s asset declaration. Such an exemption may be granted upon a written application by the member, provided the presiding officer is satisfied that publication would constitute a serious threat to the life or safety of the parliamentarian or their immediate family members.

Any approved exemption shall remain in force for a maximum period of one year and is conditional upon the member submitting a complete and accurate statement of assets and liabilities confidentially to the ECP within the prescribed timeline.

Under the existing Section 137, members of the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial assemblies are required to file annual declarations of assets (including those of spouses and dependent children) with the ECP by December 31 each year, with the commission obligated to publish them in the official gazette.

The statement of objects and reasons accompanying the bill articulates the need to balance the principles of transparency, accountability, and public trust in governance with the fundamental right to security and privacy of elected representatives and their families. It acknowledges that while public disclosure serves vital accountability objectives, unrestricted publication may, in exceptional cases, endanger the physical safety of parliamentarians.

The legislation also incorporates technical updates by substituting references to the “Supreme Court” with “Federal Constitutional Court” to align with the establishment of the Federal Constitutional Court pursuant to the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

The bill had previously stalled in August 2025 when the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs failed to achieve consensus on a similar proposal moved by PPP lawmakers Shazia Marri and Syed Naveed Qamar, with opposition from both PML-N and PTI members. In the current session, however, only the PTI opposed the measure.

The report of the Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, presented by its chairperson Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, was adopted by the House, following which the bill was passed. The legislation will now proceed to the Senate for consideration and, upon approval, will require presidential assent to become law.