16 MPs fail to file affidavits as deadline ends

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will send to the Supreme Court details of the legislators who failed to comply with its order to file fresh affidavits on dual nationality, The News learnt here.

Sixteen lawmakers had not submitted their affidavits to the Election Commission till the filing of this report.“We were asked by the Supreme Court to obtain fresh affidavits from the incumbent legislators and we did it by earlier writing to the concerned secretariats of the Senate, the National Assembly and four provincial assemblies and then separately writing to all the lawmakers,” the ECP sources maintained.

The Election Commission had also made it clear to the legislators through the letter that those who would fail to submit affidavits would be viewed as having dual nationality. On the request of several members, the date of filing the documents was extended to November 30 and that is final. The details of the non-complying lawmakers will be sent to the Supreme Court on Monday (December 03).

These sources brushed aside some media reports that the Election Commission would decide about the fate of these lawmakers on its own. “It is not our mandate to take action against those who could not file affidavits. Our job was to obtain these documents in line with the apex court directive and that is all,” sources contended.

PPP and MQM are reportedly the major losers with regard to disqualification of lawmakers having dual nationality. Both parties spearheaded an initiative twice to get through the Senate a piece of legislation, giving protection to such members. However, they could not ensure presence of required number of senators and the bill had to be deferred. The proposed amendment in Article 63 (1) (c) of the Constitution has a retrospective effect to November 2007. The ban on dual nationality holders to become members of Parliament or provincial assembly has been in place through the Constitution since 1950s.

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