Monday, March 1, 2010

Clueless, Car-less Millionaire MNAs Declare Their Peanuts

Jamshed Dasti a pauper; Maulana Attaur Rehman almost poor
 
ISLAMABAD: We may find them clueless at times but according to their own affidavits, the majority of our MNAs is also carless. Unbelievable as it may sound, but according to the annual statements of assets and liabilities filed with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the majority of our Rolex-sporting and 10-carat ear-tops flaunting multi-millionaire members of the National Assembly don't even own a car, let alone any other mind dazzling assets.

Going by the filed statements, an overwhelming majority of our elected representatives is definitely way less financially blessed than most of us and appear people of modest means. But thank heavens for the exception of some who do own cars. President Asif Ali Zardari's close aide Farahnaz Ispahani has declared owning a BMW sedan (model 2007) worth $30,400. She stated in her declaration that her spouse (Ambassador Husain Haqqani) resides in the USA where most of the couple's assets are situated.

Her other assets are: Apartment No 3005, at 4301 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington DC 20036, bought in 2004 at $600,000, currently assessed value of $675,000; outstanding mortgage against the apartment $255,000 (it was $555,000 last year); investment in the form of stocks and shares $180,000 (it was $120,000 in the last declaration); balance in foreign currency account $46,000 and other balance of Rs60,000, Haqqani's bank balance $94,000; furniture and fixture of $36,500; jewellery of $24,000; Haqqani's gifted house No 135, St 65, F-10/3, Islamabad in 1997 to Hadia Nusrat (wife), Huda Haqqani, minor daughter and Muhammad Hammad Haqqani, minor son, acquitted in 1992 at Rs27,00,000.

President's political secretary, Rukhsana Bangash, also an MNA, owns a house (no address given either in this year's declaration or the previous one) worth Rs42,500,000 but otherwise she is not a rich lady. She owns 18 tolas of gold and other jewellery worth Rs370,000; has cash in hand of Rs20,000 and furniture and fixture of Rs130,000. She has no car.

PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab also doesn't appear to be a woman of huge financial means. She has shown 16 acres of land in the name of her spouse valuing Rs320,000; advance of Rs53,000 paid for 114-M-4 in China Shopping Centre, Karachi, House No 70-G/11 PECHS Karachi for Rs65,000, Hundai car of Rs528,577 now valued at Rs420,000; 25 tolas of gold that she got at the time of her marriage valuing Rs825,000 and cash at hand and bank balance of Rs38,12,186.

Celebrated columnist Ayaz Amir is also a man of small financial means. He made interesting remarks like "alas", "wish I was that lucky" in his declaration. He has an old house in his village in Chakwal district built in 1938, which is valued at Rs300,000; has 1997 model Prado on lease from a company; has bank balance of Rs51,439 and Rs3,593, old furniture not worth any name, old market in Chakwal in children's name, and also a house in Chakwal in the name of son.

Hamza Shahbaz Sharif at least is a rich man on paper as well. He has a total of Rs70,098,850 investments - Chaudhry Sugar Mills (Rs6,238,850); Ramzan Sugar Mills (Rs1,160,000), Hamza Spinning Mills (Rs1,162,000); Muhammad Buksh Textile Mills (Rs3,443,000), Kalsoom Textile Mills (Rs50,000), Hudabiya Paper Mills (Rs3,030,000), Hudabiya Engineering Co. (Rs875,000), Khalid Siraj Industries (Rs100,000), Madni Trading Limited (Rs10,000), Madina Construction Company (Rs10,000), Sharif Feed Mills (Rs54,010,000), and Sharif Poultry Farms (Rs10,000).

He has shown unsecured loans of Rs138,237,028. Their details are: Mrs Shamim Akhtar Rs1,000,000, Mian M Shahbaz Sharif Rs500,814, Mrs Javeria Ali Rs588,735, Sharif Feed Mills Rs119,009,279, Sharif Poultry Farms Rs6,000,000, Madni Trading Limited Rs5,246,600 and Madina Construction Rs5,871,600. He has cash and bank balances of Rs3,668,912. Their details are: cash in hand 1,805,112, Bank Alfalah Limited Rs1,182,541, Habib Bank Rs452,182, Silk Bank Rs46,655, Faysal Bank Rs75,129, Samba Bank Rs8,477 and Allied Bank Rs98,816. He has shown the value of his assets at Rs211,984,790. His net wealth comes to Rs211,269,589 after deducting liabilities of Rs715,201 of Ramzan Sugar Mills.

Hamza's wife has 50 tolas of jewellery valuing Rs900,000, cash and bank balance of Rs1,000,000 and furniture and fixture of Rs600,000.

Leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan owns two plots each one kanal in DHA Rawalpindi; two plots each one kanal in SNGPL Society Lahore; advance paid for one kanal plot in the Senate Housing Society Islamabad; residential House 99-Faizabad Rawalpindi; 42 kanals and five marlas farmhouse with agriculture land at Chakri; 420 kanal and 13 marlas of agriculture land at Chakri; tractor model 2009; Pajero jeep model 2005, nine residential flats at Dhamial Raod, Rawalpindi; cash at hand and bank balance of Rs64,22,053, Rs10,00,812 and Rs87,82,449 (last year he had Rs43,63,091, Rs158,633 and 41,58,445) and furniture and fixture of Rs235,000. His wife has one kanal of plot in Pir Sohawa, Islamabad, a plot of eight kanals at Raiwind Road, Lahore, shares in Ferozesons Laboratories, KFW Factories, Umar Fabrics, Mecedez 2004, motor car Mark 2005 and jewellery 10,00,000. Their four children own 821 kanals of land in Chakri.

Federal Minster Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has shown in his statement an amount of Rs80,00,000 as receivable from his brother, which was not present in the previous declaration. His cash at hand and bank balance has gone up to Rs15,00,000 as against last year's Rs400,000. A plot valuing Rs2 million at Gujar Khan that he had earlier declared is no more in new statement. The value of his vehicles has shown an increase of Rs300,000. Similarly the value of his wife's jewellery has doubled to Rs300,000. His other assets declared last year remain the same.

Jamshed Ahmed Dasti, known for his wild outbursts against everybody who comes in his way, is a pauper; has no car, no house, no cash at hand, no bank balance. He maintains only one bank account at the Parliament building for his salary that he gets as MNA.

Asfandyar Wali owns a residential house valued at Rs3 million, 67 acres of agriculture land of Rs26.8 million; prize bonds of Rs400,000, 1988 Toyota car worth Rs500,000, 50 tolas of jewellery valuing Rs1.5 million; bank balance of Rs39,000 and furniture and fixture of Rs300,000.

Minister Maulana Attaur Rehman has 1/5th portion of house in Dera Ismail Khan district valuing Rs100,000, 50 tolas of gold and furniture and fixture of Rs20,000. He has no car, no cash in hand, no bank balance, not even a bank account.

His brother, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, is better off compared to him. He has 1/5th share in house valuing Rs100,000, another house valued at Rs2 million, and five kanals of land valuing Rs500,000; 25 tolas of gold of Rs550,000, has a bank balance of Rs400,000 and furniture and fixture of Rs50,000. He also owns no car.

Minister Lal Mohammad Khan is a rich man. He owns four plots, three houses, 1240 kanals of land valuing over Rs500 million; has business capital of Rs250 million (the name of his business is not readable), has 2004 model Land Cruiser and two Toyota cars, value not mentioned, has 300 tolas of gold, has cash in hand of Rs2.7 million and cash at bank Rs4 million.

Dr Tariq Fazal of Islamabad is a wealthy man but has no car. He has a share of Rs2 million in property in Sadiqabad Rawalpindi gifted by his father, share of Rs4,000,000 in a plot in Poultry and Vegetable Scheme II, Extension Suhan, Park Road, Islamabad, owns a plot in Poultry and Vegetable Scheme II, Extension Suhan, Park Road, Islamabad valued at Rs20,000,000, has share of Rs2,500,000 in a plot in Poultry and Vegetable Scheme II, Extension Suhan, Park Road, Islamabad, agriculture land in Tarlai Kalan Islamabad valuing Rs3,000,000, share in a F/8-3 house of Rs1,250,000, share in a house in Murree of Rs800,000, 300 kanals of agriculture land in Maira Negwal Islamabad and share of Rs600,000 in a shop in the Fruit and Vegetable Market of Islamabad.

Khawaja Asif has shown $88,243 under the head of assets brought or remitted from outside Pakistan. He has Zen Japanese Restaurant business outside Pakistan in which he has a capital of $25,000; has PTCL shares of Rs327,756, 90 tolas of gold worth Rs2,538,000, Rs210,000 cash in hand, two mortgaged residential houses of Rs2,500,000 and 20,000,000, a plot in DHA Phase V Lahore valuing Rs6,000,000, which was allotted in lieu of 4 kanals in Ravian Cooperative Society which has been taken by DHA Lahore; advance of Rs100,000 paid for a plot in Abdalian Society (possession not yet taken); advance of Rs535,700 for a plot in Senate Secretariat Cooperative Housing Society Islamabad; advance of Rs2,300,000 for a plot in Sui Northern Gas Cooperative Society Lahore; and a plot in DHA Phase VII Lahore Rs4,300,000.

He owns six cars including Honda Civic (Rs416,098), two Suzuki Mehrans (Rs757,000), Toyota Mark (Rs2,200,000), Toyota Prado (Rs1,800,000) and Honda Accord (Rs2,000,000). He has bank deposits of Rs110,379, Rs431,100, Rs3,122, Dharams 36,613.17, Rs87,585, Rs1,359,775 and $25,907.06 in different Pakistani and foreign banks. His liabilities are: KASB Bank Sialkot Rs52,591,739 (mortgage of residential house), Standard Chartered Bank DHA Lahore Rs20,886 (mortgage of residential house), Standard Chartered Bank Lahore Cantonment Rs3,151, Alflah Bank Islamabad Rs750,685 (car lease), Alfalah Bank Rs93,975 (unsecured) and Citi Bank Rs11,247 (unsecured).
 
Monday, February 22, 2010 / By Tariq Butt / The News