LAHORE, Aug 20: The Returning Officers (ROs) will accept “as such” details of assets and liabilities to be declared by candidates in their nomination papers.

“Unless the authenticity of assets and liabilities declared by a candidate is challenged by public, we are bound to accept it as correct,” an RO told Dawn here on Tuesday. “We will not undertake any exercise on our own to verify value of the declared assets or liabilities of any candidate.”

The ROs reached by Dawn confirmed that in case the declaration of the assets and liabilities by any candidate went unchallenged, it would be deemed correct despite possibility of concealment and distortion of the facts.

The ROs have also been passed on instructions to consider such declarations as correct and authentic unless challenged in order to allow maximum number of candidates to qualify for the polls.

It is also said that the “ROs would carry out a probe on their own if the declared assets and liabilities of a candidate are challenged by any person”.

Though the law authorizes the ROs to disqualify a candidate on the basis of information received from any source, the candidate against whose declaration of assets an objection is filed may be summoned to the court for recording his version.

The ROs say the personal oath given by candidates in the nomination papers regarding the correctness of their declaration of assets and liabilities would be considered as surety sufficient enough to satisfy the mind of the RO. “The persons challenging the assets of a candidate would have to come up with a solid proof in support of their objection,” said the RO.

An oath on page three of prescribed form for nomination papers reads “I ——, a candidate for election to general seat from constituency No ——-, hereby declare on solemn affirmation that no immovable and movable property including bonds, shares, certificates, securities, insurance policies and jewellery, other than specified herein below is held by me, spouse(s) and dependents on the 30th of June, ——”.

On page four and five of the prescribed forms for nomination papers the prospective candidates have been bound to disclose the cost of both immovable and movable assets along with the present value of property owned by them.