The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday made public the details of assets of senators and members of three provincial assemblies, in which Senator Engineer Rashid Ahmed and Gul Muhammad Lot have emerged the richest lawmakers. In his assets details, Engineer Rashid Ahmed claimed he owned a coal mine having unlimited value. While Awami National Party MPA Shazia Aurangzeb from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa turned out to be one of the poorest MPA having no moveable and immoveable property in her name. Senator Pervez Rasheed of the PML-N turned out to be the poorest senator, as he owned no movable and immovable property and had only Rs 124,000 in his bank account.
According to statements of assets and liabilities for 2010-2011 submitted to the Election Commission, Senator Engineer Rashid Ahmed from FATA claimed that he owned coal and soap stone miles and agriculture land, saying his assets had no limit. He also had jewellary weighing 20 tolas and Rs 0.3 million in cash at a bank. Senator Gul Muhammad Lot owns movable and immovable assets valuing almost Rs 1.14 billion. He owns a number of properties in the UAE and has invested Rs 230 million in a factory in Saudi Arabia. He also owns a flat in London. Senator Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri turned out to be one of the biggest landlords among senators because his family owns some 53,000 acres of land in Balochistan. He has two SUVs and Rs 3.6 million in banks. He said the land was yet to be distributed among his seven brothers, mother and two sisters. PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sindh Assembly Speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuhro claimed that they did not have any vehicles in their name. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain declared that his 50 percent share in two residential houses located in Islamabad and Lahore was worth Rs 5.2 million and Rs 3.4 million, respectively. He owns 78 acres of agricultural land worth Rs 376,667 and 12.5 acres worth Rs 4.5 million. He has stock shares worth Rs 10.04 million and Rs 53.90 million cash in hand. In his assets declaration, Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari claimed that he and his family owned significant properties in and around Islamabad. He owns two plots in the capital valued at Rs 30 million.
He inherited 236 kanals of land worth Rs 23.6 million in Haripur district. The Senate chairman said also had 231 kanals of land in Jandala village worth Rs 23.1 million.
He also owns another 20 kanals of land valuing Rs 15 million in Tarlai village in Islamabad. His wife partly owns CNG stations in Haripur and Attock districts.
Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain has assets worth Rs 70.44 million. He has six properties in Karachi and one in Lahore worth Rs 52.59 million, investments in shares and stocks worth Rs 41.53 million and almost Rs 7 million cash in banks.
Former law minister Dr Babar Awan owns movable and immovable assets valuing almost Rs 310 million. He owns four cars worth almost Rs 5.2 million.
PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar owns movable and immovable property worth almost Rs 140 million.
Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh has movable and immovable assets valued at Rs 256 million. He owns a house in Dubai worth Rs 70.5 million and has brought remittances of $375,000 (about Rs 30 million). He holds Rs 27.5 million in his bank accounts in Washington and Dubai and has declared the total worth of his three properties in Punjab and Sindh at Rs 7.3 million.
In his assets declaration, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has written ‘no change since last declaration’ on all the pages of the statement submitted by him. In his last declaration he claimed of having a house in London worth Rs 339.75 million and had capital investment in his own name and in that of his wife in four businesses abroad. JUI-F Senator Talha Mahmood has property worth Rs 90.60 million, vehicles worth Rs 21.81 million, around Rs 15.34 million cash in banks and other assets worth Rs 11.49 million.