Pakistan

PM seeks details of ruling party leaders’ assets

Assigns FBR and other institutions the task of collecting data

Abdul Manan September 07, 2015

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sought details regarding assets of the ruling party’s lawmakers and ministers at the provincial and federal level in a bid to extend the anti-graft campaign to Punjab province.

According to details shared by top officials in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the prime minister has assigned the task to various institutions, including the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), to get information regarding assets details of his party’s key leaders as well as federal and provincial cabinet members.

Read: Balochistan Drive : NAB chief aspires for graft-free province

They said the premier is particularly interested in determining whether any change has occurred in the cabinet members’ incomes and assets from 2013 to 2015. Sources said the PM has categorically asked to let him know of all cases where the income and assets are beyond any lawmaker’s means.

Sources said the PM, after poring over these details, would give the go-ahead to anti-corruption watchdogs to take action against graft-tainted individuals. The prime minister issued these instructions after consulting Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other close aides during his three-day stay in Lahore.

They said the prime minister made this decision in order to dispel the impression that the federal government has not taken any action against corrupt elements in the PML-N and the Punjab province. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar recently said the campaign against corruption would be across the board and hinted at its beginning in Punjab.

Read: Anti-corruption drive: Confidante of Zardari detained on graft charges

Talking to The Express Tribune, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan said that PML-N believed that corruption should be eradicated from across the country. He said the concerned authorities would carry out action against corrupt elements if they were found guilty.

Earlier, political parties – including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – had accused the government of political victimisation and singling out Sindh province for its anti-graft campaign.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (24)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 8 years ago | Reply According to the news report, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has sought details regarding assets of the ruling party’s lawmakers and ministers at the provincial and federal level - with particular emphasis of whether any change has occurred in the cabinet members incomes and assets from 2013 to 2015 - so as to verify whether the income and assets are beyond any lawmaker’s means, The move is obviously Nawaz Sharif’s answer to Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s complaints of political vicitimisation and singling out Sindh province for its anti-graft campaign. The very first question that comes to mind is whether the lawmakers would be so reckless as to keep the illegitimate income and assets in their name for easy spotting by various institutions including Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) which would be supposed to be investigating them? I suppose under pressure to dispel the impression – which look real and not just imagined – Nawaz Sharif has come up with this dummy campaign in order to fix thing up and give a certificate that ‘all is well’ at the Federal level and in Punjab. With the killing of fourteen men and women and wounding of eighty at Dr. Tahirul Qadri’s Model Town secretariat hushed up without much trouble – even in the circumstances where the army chief played a part in getting the FIR of the killings registered – this dummy accountability exercise could be just a child’s play. The question still remains whether this dummy exercise will satisfy those who have set out to cleanse the country? And judging from the way things seem to be going, the obvious answer is that perhaps it will. Karachi

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply @raider: Read the news again- its says; "They said the premier is particularly interested in determining whether any change has occurred in the cabinet members’ incomes and assets from 2013 to 2015."

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pervaiz | 8 years ago | Reply Good move by PM, now IK should also have details of assets of his lawmakers such as Pervaiz Khattak, Swati, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem khan.

Waqas | 8 years ago | Reply @Zain: if you bother you can look it up and there was actually a rating based on the performance.

z | 8 years ago | Reply Dear commentators, IK believes that we have an independent judiciary and media. If you have got any evidence against the ruling party or PM, please don't waste your time and efforts here leave unsubstantiated comments and take those evidences to the court straightaway. This will be your contribution and a favour to the poor nation of Pakistan.

Awami | 8 years ago | Reply If I remember correctly, last year there was news of Ministers' performance scruitiny. Not sure what happened to it.

raider | 8 years ago | Reply @Xnain: imran khan once said declare first your asserts? answer: each member is bond to declare his asserts this is naive khan, he should consult assets detail of each member available at ECP s website, now why nawaz sharif is demanding assets detail of political leaders of ruling party, has he gone naive like imran khan or there is pressure of "X" do so.

Amir | 8 years ago | Reply Yes assign handpicked people to investigate so any suspicious activities or ill gained wealth could be regularized.

WB | 8 years ago | Reply @sabi: Are sleeping under a rock?? We all know NS became PM with a little help from his judiciary friends!

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply What about what is in your sons name ?.........will he disclose how he came about such fabulous wealth ?

Zain | 8 years ago | Reply Last year he had also called for his every minister to give report of their performance (which never happened) Hahahahaha They won't restrain themselves from staging such spectacles

Wajahat | 8 years ago | Reply Nawaz Sharif is moving towards the right direction.

Khurram | 8 years ago | Reply @Xnain, Sabi - I have some details of Sharifs' assets in London and wonder how can one make it with Halal earnings.

OSD | 8 years ago | Reply Now we're talking business! Really optimistic for Pakistan this time around..

Faryal Ghani | 8 years ago | Reply Good move by PM. Haters will continue hating. Nawaz Sharif should continue his work for Pakistan.

Lord | 8 years ago | Reply Hilarious:D. Look whose talking.

Shama | 8 years ago | Reply Why only the Lawmakers? Go for their Spouses, Brothers, Sisters, In-laws, Out-laws, Cooks, Guards, Drivers, Maids etc. Take there 3 mobile sets and download all the numbers and start investigations on the people listed on the directory.

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply @Haider: @Khurram: @Saqib butt: .How come he becomes third time the prime minister of this country if he is not clean..ever heard of Media Hype?

Xnain | 8 years ago | Reply @Khurram: @Haider: More interested in comments rather than using the internet. [link text][1] [1]: http://ecp.gov.pk/AssetLiabilities2014/Assets_Liabilities_2014_Default.aspx

Saqib butt | 8 years ago | Reply How can u investigate yrself ? The old team is still there.Even the Finance Secretary, Waqar Massod who was picked up by Zardari from NDFC, appointed as Secretary General & served the PPP quite well that included making personal calls to allegedly facilatate bogus financing to the bosses friends,continues with expect Dar, & seems to be serving his new bosses quite well.

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply I know this man will not pause for a minute to dispel any of his colleagues, no matter how big no matter what political cost, if found involved in corruption.

Khurram | 8 years ago | Reply Really, sir charity begins at home.

Haider | 8 years ago | Reply PM first give your details......

Neutral | 8 years ago | Reply The Title should rather be "PM is asked to seek details of ruling party leaders’ assets"

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