Annual statement: Only 13 of 100 senators declare foreign assets
Most lawmakers leave blank space in area meant to declare assets outside Pakistan.
ISLAMABAD:
A majority of Senators have declined to divulge their assets and financial liabilities abroad, irrespective of party affiliations, according to their annual statements of assets and liabilities submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Only 13 of the 100 lawmakers of the Upper House have divulged information on their assets in the US, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
According to the statements, former senator and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Azam Khan Swati is apparently the only senator with any debt abroad, with liabilities worth $1.08 million in the US. However, Swati did not give any breakdown of these liabilities and only declared assets in the US amounting to around $7 million in his wife’s name. He also owns different properties worth Rs3.5 million in the UAE and has assets of over Rs355 million in Pakistan.
The market value of Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Gul Muhammad Lot’s moveable and non-movable assets totals Rs1.08 billion. He is also at the top of the list of Senators who owns assets with a market value of over Rs600 million abroad, while the market value of his immovable assets within Pakistan is over Rs481 million.
Senators who did not declare their assets left the area where they were supposed to mention their liabilities blank.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, according to his 2010 assets declaration statement, owns a valuable house in London worth Rs340 million. But this year, his statement indicated that he has neither gained nor lost anything over the past year.
Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain stated in his declaration that he owns assets worth $67,105.
Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, meanwhile, has property worth approximately Rs71 million in Dubai, while the value of his assets brought or remitted from outside Pakistan totals Rs30 million.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Ishaq Dar revealed in his declaration that he owns a residential unit in Dubai worth Rs89 million. He also holds shares and businesses worth millions of dollars inside and outside Pakistan.
PML-Q Senator Wasim Sajjad declared he has 4.4 million foreign currency in pounds and dollars; while Senator Gulshan Saeed, who owns 1,100 tolas of gold, has also sold a house in London worth 0.5 million UK pounds.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Babar Khan Ghauri owns assets worth around Rs151 million, including a business named BANS International Dubai. Awami National Party Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash’s UAE-based business is worth over AED19 million.
The total value of Senator Adnan Khan’s assets abroad is around Rs83 million.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Maula Bakhsh Chandio informed the National Assembly that over a dozen of its members had foreign accounts. These members include Dr Arbab Alamgir, Engineer Muhammad Tariq Khattak, Usman Khan Tarakai, Malik Azmat Khan, Munir Khan Orakzai, Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal, Salahuddin, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Talat Iqbal Mahassar, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, Farhat Muhammad Khan, Justice (retd) Fakharun Nisa Khokhar, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Farahnaz Ispahani, Asma Arbab Alamgir and Kishan Chand Parwani, Dr Arasih Kumar, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
He said that a report had been prepared on the basis of information provided by the parliamentarians in their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2009-10.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2012.
A majority of Senators have declined to divulge their assets and financial liabilities abroad, irrespective of party affiliations, according to their annual statements of assets and liabilities submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Only 13 of the 100 lawmakers of the Upper House have divulged information on their assets in the US, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
According to the statements, former senator and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Azam Khan Swati is apparently the only senator with any debt abroad, with liabilities worth $1.08 million in the US. However, Swati did not give any breakdown of these liabilities and only declared assets in the US amounting to around $7 million in his wife’s name. He also owns different properties worth Rs3.5 million in the UAE and has assets of over Rs355 million in Pakistan.
The market value of Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Gul Muhammad Lot’s moveable and non-movable assets totals Rs1.08 billion. He is also at the top of the list of Senators who owns assets with a market value of over Rs600 million abroad, while the market value of his immovable assets within Pakistan is over Rs481 million.
Senators who did not declare their assets left the area where they were supposed to mention their liabilities blank.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, according to his 2010 assets declaration statement, owns a valuable house in London worth Rs340 million. But this year, his statement indicated that he has neither gained nor lost anything over the past year.
Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain stated in his declaration that he owns assets worth $67,105.
Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, meanwhile, has property worth approximately Rs71 million in Dubai, while the value of his assets brought or remitted from outside Pakistan totals Rs30 million.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Ishaq Dar revealed in his declaration that he owns a residential unit in Dubai worth Rs89 million. He also holds shares and businesses worth millions of dollars inside and outside Pakistan.
PML-Q Senator Wasim Sajjad declared he has 4.4 million foreign currency in pounds and dollars; while Senator Gulshan Saeed, who owns 1,100 tolas of gold, has also sold a house in London worth 0.5 million UK pounds.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Babar Khan Ghauri owns assets worth around Rs151 million, including a business named BANS International Dubai. Awami National Party Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash’s UAE-based business is worth over AED19 million.
The total value of Senator Adnan Khan’s assets abroad is around Rs83 million.
Meanwhile, Law Minister Maula Bakhsh Chandio informed the National Assembly that over a dozen of its members had foreign accounts. These members include Dr Arbab Alamgir, Engineer Muhammad Tariq Khattak, Usman Khan Tarakai, Malik Azmat Khan, Munir Khan Orakzai, Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal, Salahuddin, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Talat Iqbal Mahassar, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, Farhat Muhammad Khan, Justice (retd) Fakharun Nisa Khokhar, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Farahnaz Ispahani, Asma Arbab Alamgir and Kishan Chand Parwani, Dr Arasih Kumar, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
He said that a report had been prepared on the basis of information provided by the parliamentarians in their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2009-10.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 4th, 2012.