Controversial property: Surrey Mansion to be sold for £10m
The politician couple had always denied buying the mansion in 1995.
PPP’s slain chairperson Benazir Bhutto. PHOTO: REUTERS
The once-disputed property and former home of PPP’s slain chairperson Benazir Bhutto, complete with its own airfield and hangar, is to be sold for £10 million, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
Bhutto bought The Rockwood Estate in Surrey with her husband Asif Zardari in 1995 and carried out a series of lavish upgrades.
The couple had a bomb-proof master bedroom installed along with a replica of the local pub built in the basement. It is believed Zardari tried to buy the nearby Dog and Feather, but when his offer was rejected he decided to have his own version installed.
The Rockwood Estate, set in around 350 acres of Surrey countryside near Godalming, is dominated by the main home which has more than 30 rooms. There are 11 bedrooms, five bathrooms, a great hall, massive drawing room and a 115-foot terrace which overlooks a pond in the grounds. It retains some original features including a wood-panelled study.
A domed master bedroom, which is the size of a small home, was apparently made bombproof.
The politician couple had always denied buying the mansion in 1995, which authorities believed was paid for with ill-gotten gains. They spent incredible figures on furnishings, including £120,000 on a dining table.
Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in a 2007 bombing, claimed to have never even visited the property. But Zardari eventually admitted being behind the purchase in 2004, before it was sold for more than £4 million the following year.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 21st, 2014.