Asma Arbab Alamgir, wife of Federal Communication Minister Arbab Alamgir, and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)’s Dr Atia Anaytullah are amongst the richest female members of the National Assembly, while PML-Nawaz lawmaker Surriya Asghar is among the poorest female parliamentarians. According to the assets and liabilities details filed by lawmakers to the Election Commission (EC), the total assets of Asma Arbab Alamgir are over Rs 1 billion. She owns agricultural land worth Rs 50.5 million, a house worth Rs 15 million, and other urban properties such as shops, apartments and houses, which brings the total up to a billion rupees.
Under the category of moveable assets, she has Rs 70 million stowed away in defence saving certificates and prize bonds and three luxury vehicles worth Rs 13 million. She also has Rs 20 million cash in banks and jewellery worth around Rs 2 million. Dr Atia has two houses worth Rs 44.39 million and Rs 3 million in investments in various saving certificates and shares according to details issued by the EC. She also has Rs 121 million in bank accounts and other investments, but jewellery worth Rs 8,000 only. Federal Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has assets worth Rs 70 million. She possesses 755 tolas worth of gold ornaments, standing out among her colleagues as none of the other female parliamentarians have gold ornaments of more than 300 tolas.
Surriya Asghar, however, has total assets worth a relatively low Rs 2 million. She claimed that she has only one Suzuki Culuts car worth Rs 700,000 and 10 tolas of gold. The PML-N leader has almost Rs 800,000 in her three bank accounts. Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has assets of around Rs 17 million, which include agricultural land, residential plots and a business of around Rs 14 million, as well as Rs 3 million worth of gold. Faryal Talpur, the sister of President Asif Ali Zardari, has assets worth more than Rs 90 million. She has earned Rs 6 million from investments abroad and had immovable assets worth Rs 37 million.
The affluent female lawmaker also owned three luxury cars worth Rs 12.5 million according to the EC. PML-Q MNA Sumaria Malik reportedly has Rs 103 million in property and bank balance. She owns agricultural land worth Rs 39 million, a residential plot worth Rs 8.5 million and a house worth Rs 36 million. Farahnaz Ispahani, the wife of Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, owned property worth millions of rupees in Pakistan and the US. She has Rs 300,000 in Pakistani banks, while she owns an apartment in the US worth $675,000. Ispahani also has an outstanding mortgage amount of $240,000 against the apartment.
She has a bank balance of $98,000. Former information minister Sher Bano “Sherry” Rehman has assets of around Rs 2 million, and a house in Karachi worth Rs 9 million. Incumbent PML-Q lawmaker Marvi Memon has assets worth Rs 18 million according to the EC. She owns two houses worth Rs 12 million and a piece of agricultural land in Hyderabad. She has a bank balance of Rs 3 million. The PML-Q lawmaker also owns Rs 600,000 worth of gold ornaments. PPP MNA Shahnaz Wazir Ali has assets worth 36 million, including a house and investments amounting to Rs 10 million. Political Secretary to the President Rukhsana Bangash has assets worth 41 million, which include a luxury house at the outskirts of the federal capital worth Rs 40 million.
Khush Bakht Shujaat of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had assets worth Rs 18 million according to the EC, and she has business worth Rs 5 million. She has Rs 11 million in cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 7 million. Maimoona Javed Hashmi has assets of worth Rs 37 million, including land worth Rs 24 million. She also owns 200 tolas worth of gold ornaments. PML-N leader Anusha Rehman has assets worth Rs 90 million. She owns two houses in Pakistan worth Rs 69 million, agricultural land worth Rs 3 million, a house in the UK worth Rs 2.5 million, a car worth Rs 2 million and gold worth Rs 3 million, apart from investments and cash. PPP MNA Fauzia Wahab owns immovable assets worth Rs 400,000 and jewellery worth over a million rupees. She has a bank balance of Rs 1.8 million.
PML-Q Likeminded group leader Kashmala Tariq owns immoveable assets worth Rs 14.6 million and a business worth Rs 500,000. She owns a Jeep worth Rs 800,000 and 200 tolas of gold worth around Rs 8 million. According to the EC, out of a total of 342 parliamentarians, around 80 do not own a vehicle, one of the many seemingly unbelievable details revealed in this year’s statement of assets and liabilities submitted by the lawmakers to the EC, which is an annual ritual. Reportedly, Federal Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Samina Khalid Ghurki and the PML-Q’s Marvi Memon were all among the parliamentarians who claimed they did not own a vehicle. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Fazlur Rehman also claimed that they do not own a car.
