Loan defaulters can’t contest polls: Finance Adviser

Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed today said loan defaulters will not be able to participate in the national parliamentary election scheduled for February next year.

He made the remarks while speaking as chief guest at a press conference at the Secretariat, organised by the National Pension Authority to mark the launch of the "U Pension" app. The adviser formally inaugurated the app's operations.

Salehuddin said the Finance Ministry will provide all possible assistance to improve law and order for holding a fair election in February.

Under existing laws, loan defaulters are barred from contesting elections. According to Article 12 of the Representation of the People Order, 1972, any loan defaulter is ineligible to become a member of parliament. "If someone is a defaulter, they cannot be a candidate," he said, adding that the provision is often misused before elections.

"The Election Commission should identify loan defaulters. But the problem lies with court stay orders," he said.

Asked about tackling black money in the upcoming election, the adviser said, "The matter has not come to us yet. The Election Commission will think about it. In the case of black money, there are two aspects -- source and process. The source is now more or less closed compared to before. Previously, the owner of a bank, an industrial enterprise, a newspaper, and an apartment was often the same person. Now there's a reasonable check-and-balance system."