Memon stands as Sindh’s richest MPA

Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) MPA Sharjeel Memon stands as the wealthiest man in the Sindh Assembly, according to the financial details issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday.

As per the ECP's records, Memon owns two Land Cruiser cars and 150 tolas of gold, while his wife has 100 tolas of jewellery. Moreover, his bank account balances added up to Rs10 million, while those of his wife sum up to over Rs30.86 million.

The lawmaker further holds several properties in Pakistan as well as abroad. He has two properties worth Rs4.4 million and Rs9.7 million in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), along with a plot worth Rs1.2 million against his name in Malir Development Authority, a house and agricultural land worth Rs15 million in Tharparkar and two flats worth Rs50 million in Dubai, while his wife owns a villa worth Rs98.9 million in Dubai along with 50 per cent of the shares, estimated to be worth around Rs21 million, in a Dubai office.

Further, the former Sindh information minister owns arms worth Rs2.5 million, while he had also borrowed money from banks, grossing Rs27.1 million.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has assets worth more than Rs233.5 million. With two cars priced Rs15 million each, Shah had received 100 tolas of gold as a gift of 100 tolas from his mother, while his daughter owns two plots worth Rs30 million in DHA.

According to the ECP, PPP lawmaker Faryal Talpur - the sister of party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari - owns assets worth over Rs390 million, including 980g of jewellery and three vehicles worth more than Rs10 million each.

Furthermore, Sindh Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani has assets worth over Rs102 million, with Rs61.6 million deposited in his bank accounts, as well as weapons worth Rs1.5 million.

Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani declared assets of Rs23.1 million, including 100 tolas gold, while Sindh Information Minister Nasir Hussain Shah had assets of over Rs130 million, including 477 tolas of gold. Moreover, Sindh Irrigation Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal has assets worth Rs92.8 million.

On the opposition benches, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly Firdous Shamim Naqvi owns assets worth Rs334 million while the party's parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, declared assets of over Rs20 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2020.