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.
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@John u sure his parents and family go to dubai to meet him? Now i tell u something and i request ET to plz publish it so tht i can expose your lies in front of people who are reading this. Mustafa Kamal Father died bcoz of Cancer years back, and his mother passed when he was Nazim so i dont know who are those people u called Parents of Mustufa Kamal who go to meet him in Dubai. Secondly his wife an african country National lives with him where ever he goes. I stand on my words tht Mr Kamal overseas all the projects of Bahria Town and he frequently visits karachi.
@Ali: Looks like i stepped on a lot of toes didn't I? So you are telling me that Mustafa Kamal is overseeing all the Karachi projects while sitting in Dubai?are you serious? Sir the poor man has not been in Karachi for close to 1.5 years now,even his family and parents had to go to dubai to meet him rather than he coming back.And Mustafa Kamal was the one who was more loyal to the king then the King himself!
@John Mr Mustufa Kamal is working with Mr Malik Riaz and heads all the Bahria Projects of Karachi, His Brother In Law is known name of MQM and in high Hierarchy of MQM, i am sure Mustufa Kamal didnt rang you and told you that he is running for his life, You must be listening the day dreamer sold out disgusting anchors who were predicting end of Altaf Hussain, Breaking of MQM into many pieces and end of Altaf Hussain political career on the charges of hate speeches. Sorry for your disappointments but trust me you will continue to be disappointed, Mustufa Kamal was an ordinary MQM worker and MQM have thousands more workers who are more talented than Mustufa Kamal
The money belongs to the people of Pakistan, it should be brought home for the welfare of the poor.
@mrs ahmed: This answers everything but my questions above,yet I understand your limitations as a cult follower where everything bhai does or say is right,clown dancing including.No one in MQM has ever criticised bhai except Azam Tariq and we all know he ended up 6 feet below the ground.Either bhai is an angel or that everyone wants to live,Mustafa kamal including ! Btw Edgware is not a middle class suburb,please check your facts and the average median prices in the area
@John: now Met police already had their foot in their mouth , remember they dropped hate speech cases , and soon the money laundery allegation will also evaporate , it is a shame that pwoer couple and monied brother duo are put in the league of ALTAF HUSSAIN , it has been expalined again and again all the property and monies are in the ownweship of MQM which is not a family run party and also it seems very logical that MQM let their party head reside in a middle class area , and not in luxry flats and properties that sahrif brothers and zardaris enjoy. ALTAF HUSSAIN do not own any factory or business he is fully cared by his party , now MQM being a middle class party of dedicated professionals , give donations thats the main source of income unlike zardari and sharif who run mighty businesses and finanace their politics .Therefore there is no similarity , please check ur facts
Is this why both PMLN & PPP talk of upholding democracy? Democracy is a business for these parties.
The couple did not own any major industry but still were able to spend lavishly. how come??
Ah yes, 10 million pound mansions in the UK - A must have for all liberal secular voices of the masses!
these are all same...and nothing will change.....lets us sleep
Any tweets from Bilawal Zardari?
BB's real abode is 2' x 7' piece of land in Garhi Khuda Buksh, in the province of Sindh.
when will the corruption and PPP partnership end?
@John: You are so right these two political parties and their heads have penchant for luxury homes in the UK, the politician couple and the brother duo, mansions and high street properties, Edgware nothing compared to the fine taste in property procurment and development the aforementioned have. And the 'international money launderer and racketeer" as you have mentioned also had Jinnahpur all set in motion. Money laundering would just turn out to be British Jinnahpur, sit back and enjoy. And I am sorry for those who spent time calling up Met Police, the incitement case already dropped.
P.S. Better luck next time!
ET pls print. thanks
And they say BB never did any corruption...
@Aysha M: Whats with these two political allies and their penchant for luxury properties in UK? While corruption party managed to have this palace,this other "middle class" international money launderer and racketeer lives in that ultra elitist suburb of Edgware with undocumented money lying around the house. Sweet ! P.S. those living in glass houses shouldnt be throwing stones !
and that was a "visionary" leader's (billboards across Karachi say so) humble home...
Hard earned clean money of the politicain couple, Met Police, any concerns over this?
And they are the leaders of poor people of Sindh......