Pakistani Assembly Passes Bill Allowing Lawmakers to Keep Asset Details Private

Pakistan’s National Assembly on Wednesday approved a controversial amendment that allows lawmakers to keep details of their personal and family assets confidential for up to one year, citing concerns over personal safety and security.

The bill was passed amid opposition from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, which argued that the move weakens transparency and public accountability.

According to Dawn, the provision can be invoked if the public disclosure of asset information is deemed to pose a serious threat to the life or security of a member of Parliament or their immediate family.

Under existing rules, members of the National Assembly, Senate, and provincial legislatures are required to submit annual statements of assets and liabilities — including those of their spouses and dependent children — to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by December 31 each year.

These declarations are currently made public, with the ECP mandated under Section 138 of the Elections Act to publish them in the official gazette to ensure transparency in public office.

The newly passed bill amends Section 138 of the Elections Act, empowering the Speaker of the National Assembly or the Chairman of the Senate to withhold public disclosure of a lawmaker’s assets if publication could endanger the individual or their family.

The exemption may be granted for a maximum period of one year at a time. However, lawmakers seeking protection under this clause must still submit a complete, truthful, and detailed declaration of assets confidentially to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

In addition to the asset disclosure provision, the National Assembly also approved amendments to nine other sections of the Elections Act, which has now been renamed the Elections (Amendment) Act, 2026.

Most of these changes are technical in nature and are intended to align legal terminology with constitutional and judicial developments following the passage of the 27th Constitutional Amendment.

One notable revision replaces references to the “Supreme Court” with the Federal Constitutional Court, reflecting the establishment of the FCC under the latest constitutional framework.

The 27th Constitutional Amendment, ratified in November, also restructured Pakistan’s military leadership hierarchy and introduced significant institutional changes at the federal level.

Before the bill can become law, it must still be approved by the Senate and receive formal assent from the President.

The passage of the amendment has reignited debate in Pakistan over the balance between transparency and security, particularly at a time when lawmakers increasingly cite personal safety concerns amid a volatile political environment.