PTI chairman Imran Khan (L), JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (R).
ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued details of the assets and liabilities of members of parliament on Wednesday, revealing the ‘billionaire club’, which included Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
Apart from the premier, MNAs Khalil Zaman Orakzai (NA-16) and Dr Raja Ameer Zaman (NA-19) from Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), Sajid Hussain Turi (NA-37) and Bismallah Khan (NA-43) from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (NA-50) were also among the billionaires.
PM Nawaz, as per the declarations, owns agriculture land worth Rs1.43 billion, has made investments of over Rs13 million – he has shares in six different mills – and has Rs126 million in seven bank accounts. He also owns a Toyota Land Cruiser 2010 as well as the 1973 and 1991 models of Mercedes Benz. The premier also owns a 1991 model tractor.
Meanwhile, PTI’s Ameer Zaman disclosed that he owns property worth over Rs2 billion and that the value of one of his houses in Sector F-7 is Rs1 billion. But Ijazul Haq, the son of former military dictator General Ziaul Haq, pointed out a discrepancy as he claimed that he, too, owns a house in the same locality, which costs only Rs1.64 million.
According to last year’s asset declarations, Sajid Hussain Turi owned as many as 1,000 shops in Turi Market, Parachinar, Kurrum Agency, but he had said that the value of his property remained “unknown”. However, this time around, he declared his wealth to be in the billions.
Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) declared that he owns non-agriculture property of Rs8.5 million with – surprisingly – no mention of agriculture land. Elahi, in his last year’s declarations, had said he owned 60 acres of agriculture land worth Rs366,667, which meant that the price of one acre was just Rs6,111.
Separately, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah of the PPP declared that he owned property worth Rs20 million and his major source of income was a cotton factory worth Rs5 million.
PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim owned property worth only Rs32 million, having some 184 acres of land. But he did not mention the price of this inherited land.
Former Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza claimed that she was the owner of property worth Rs40 million while her husband, Dr Zulfikar Mirza, shockingly owned property of only Rs18 million. Dr Fehmida also owns an apartment at Global Lake View, Dubai, which is priced astonishingly low at Rs1.6 million.
The poorest of them all
Independent MNA Jamshed Dasti was declared the poorest MNA last year, declaring nothing save his MNA salary. This year, Dasti ‘owned nothing’. He did not fill his asset-declaration form and only informed the ECP of an account in Allied Bank Limited, Parliament House. He did not even show any cash in the account.
Meanwhile, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman declared he owns two houses worth a mere Rs4 million, has Rs1.6 million deposited in the bank and gold worth Rs0.95 million. But he failed to declare possession or ownership of any vehicle – despite being seen in SUVs many times.
PTI chairman Imran Khan was relatively poorer this year as his net assets slightly decreased by Rs0.5 million as compared to the previous fiscal year. His net assets amounted to only Rs29.6 million this year. Out of the 14 different properties he owned in Pakistan, he inherited eight while two were gifted, according to the declaration. PTI Chairman also owned a Toyota Prado whose estimated value is Rs5 million. He also has cash of Rs13.6 million in Bank Alfalah Islamabad.
The chief ministers
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Parvez Khattak has declared to own real estate priced at Rs221 million and a Toyota Corolla worth Rs1.3 million.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s assets valued at Rs142.2 million and his wives attained more wealth than him, according to the declarations. However, Shahbaz — unlike his elder brother, PM Nawaz –disclosed that he has property worth Rs138 million in London.
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik has declared agriculture land worth over Rs280 million but said that he does not own any vehicle.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah valued his moveable and immoveable property at an implausible Rs16.2 million. He also claimed that he does not own a car and uses his daughter’s Honda City.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2013.
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