Disclosed assets: MNA couple in a deep hole of debt

The liabilities declared by all members of lower house add up to Rs2.9b.

ISLAMABAD:

The assets declarations submitted by Parliamentarians to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) revealed that some lawmakers were in high debt. Some of them have liabilities worth millions of rupees which collectively add up to Rs2.9 billion.

Although a majority of Members National Assembly (MNAs) did not disclose their liabilities, some of them informed the ECP that their outstanding debts were in millions or billions, owed either to the government or to private organisations.

MNA Asma Alamgir, wife of Federal Minister for Communication Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan, stated that she had liabilities of Rs1.7 billion; while her property’s present worth is Rs1.68 billion. Asma, who has the highest price of declared property among female MNAs, did not mention details of her assets and liabilities. Her husband Arbab Alamgir disclosed Rs1.7 billion liabilities while declaring that he owned assets worth Rs130 million only. The couple are the only husband-wife pair in parliament, both of whom are in high debt.

MNA Muzaffarul Mulk is the only lawmaker who informed the ECP that he got written off loans worth Rs8.3 million from a government bank. He owned property worth Rs220 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.