Despite the fact the an election for the National Assembly seat variably costs Rs 1 million to 10 million each, 35 members of the Lower House claim that they are so poor that they do not own any ornaments – gold or silver.
Many have stated in the details of assets and liabilities that the column for ornaments did not need to be filled, while others simply ignored it, although numerous among them have valuables worth millions of rupees, but no gold or silver ornaments or jewelry in their name or in the names of their spouses and dependents. Some have stated that the ornaments were “with the wife, gifted at wedding, inherited”, and in a few cases “purchased”. In numerous cases, the members did not even bother to mention anything in the column specified for jewelry – some have written “not applicable” while a few have stated “nil”.
Details released by the Election Commission of Pakistan in gazette notification of the assets details, showed that around 20 MPs and their families were blessed enough to own more than 200 tolas of gold or jewelry each. There are 39 MPs who own more than 100 tolas of gold or other ornaments, 28 have 10 tolas or less.
Seeing the facts revealed by these MPs with their signatures and stamps in the details of assets and liabilities, one simply thinks for a moment that even some big names in the House, with a couple holding key posts, either had no jewelry or did not bother to mention it. The 35 MPs, who stated not to own any ornaments include figures like Ayaz Amir, Raja Safdar, Raja Asad, Sumera Malik, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, who says that the ornaments were owned by his wife, Ghulam Farid Kathia, Mahmood Hayat Khan, Khawaja Sheraz Mahmood, Awais Leghari, Jamshed Dasti, Muazzam Jatoi, Omar Sohail Zia Butt, Abdul Ghafoor Chaudhry, Mehreen Anwar Raja, Bushra Gohar, Shahnaz Sheikh and some others. Members who owned less than 10 tolas of gold included Munir Orakzai, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Pervez Malik, Rasheed Akbar Khan, Qayyum Jatoi, Afzal Sindhu, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani, Arbab Zakaullah, Tahira Aurengzeb, Khlida Mansoor, Tasneem Siddiqui, Palwasha Khan, Shakeela Khanam Rasheed, Kathu Mal Jeevan, Maulana Muhammad Qasim, Mufti Ajmal Khan and Muhammad Nawaz Khan. Cautiously calculated cumulative figure shows that except 35 members of the 342, the remaining have ornaments including gold, silver and diamond measuring approximately 19,000 tolas (224 Kg), valued at almost Rs 1 billion.
The asset details even include those who own 200, 300, 400, 500 and even 700 tolas of gold. Among them are a couple of federal ministers and members from both the PML-N and members of the coalition parties.
It is also revealed in the details of assets and liabilities issued by the ECP that Leader of the Opposition Nisar Ali Khan only stated the value of ornaments at Rs 150,000, which were in the name of his spouse.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani leaves no ambiguity to mention details of his assets and liabilities. Many others from the government and the opposition also came out with clear statistics to mention their assets and liabilities.
The most vocal member, Hanif Abbasi did not mention the weight and value of the jewelry as he had stated that it was received in dowry.
Similarly, Raja Muhammad Safdar crossed all the columns except filling those related to owning a vehicle and cash.
Muhammad Safdar also did not bother to give fresh details as he stated in all columns “no change from the statement of assets and liabilities submitted last year”.