Disclosing assets: MNA hopes to recover stolen motorcycle
MQM legislator makes mention of his bike in assets column.
Some Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) legislators have made some interesting disclosures in their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2010-11.
MNA Abdul Waseem from NA-243 did not forget to mention in the assets column a 70 cc motorcycle worth Rs39,000 that was stolen some nine years ago and the member was still hopeful of its recovery.
He left vacant the column of current value of asset but in the next column where members can give any remarks about assets, he mentioned an FIR No. 256/03 registered on August 1, 2003 at Azizabad police station.
The member owns a small plot measuring 120 yards worth Rs500,000. He has some investment in national savings scheme, 45 tola of gold that belongs to his wife, Rs6.3 million cash in hand and some two million rupees in his two bank accounts.
The Election Commission of Pakistan that receives declarations of assets and liabilities of members of national and provincial assemblies and the senate every year released the details of assets of MNAs for the year 2010-11 two days ago. Since the commission has no mechanism to verify these statements, it simply publishes them as submitted.
One of the least wealthy among MQM MNAs is Shugufta Sadiq who along with her spouse owns total assets worth Rs3.20 million only.
The major chunk of their wealth is inherited property and family gold worth around Rs1.2 million.
She and her husband have cash and investments worth Rs1.35 million. Astonishingly the car owned by the couple is a 1979 model worth Rs20,000 only.
Among the wealthiest MNAs of MQM as per their declarations is Fauzia Ejaz Khan with net wealth of Rs60.63 million, who owns a house worth Rs40 million in DHA and 100 tola gold, besides other assets and cash.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 11th, 2012.