ISLAMABAD: Aurangzeb Farooqui, president of the banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) who is contesting the election for both national and provincial assemblies’ seats in Karachi from the platform of Rahe Haq Party, has very limited financial assets as per his documents placed by the Election Commission of Pakistan at its website.
According to the documents, Hafiz Aurangzeb is a prayer leader (imam) who owns one house and his total financial worth is around Rs7 million. He has a monthly salary of Rs30,000 and has no vehicle, business, weapons or any other assets. His spouse has no jewellery. Incidentally, the documents do not reflect any police case against Hafiz Aurangzeb.
Syed Mustafa Kamal, chief of Pak Sarzameen Party who has filed nominations papers for seats of both the national and provincial assemblies, has a liability of Rs1.20 million, whereas the worth of his assets and cash holding is less than Rs9m.
ECP places assets details of politicians on its website
His business ‘Transglobal Consultancy (Pvt) Limited’ is valued at Rs400,000 and his investment in shares and stocks is Rs194,892. He has Rs193,986 cash in hand and Rs555 in bank. His personal belongings, including furniture, are worth Rs100,000.
Mr Kamal, a former Karachi nazim and parliamentarian from the MQM, does not have any property, vehicle, jewellery, weapons, etc, to declare.
Amir Liaquat Hussain, another former MQM parliamentarian who is now contesting the election from the platform of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, has a net wealth of Rs49.08m. In the documents submitted to the returning officer, he has stated that his tax for the year 2017 was “pending to be paid”.
Mr Hussain, who is contesting the election from NA-245 (Karachi), has a plot in Khudadad Colony and one house each in DHA and PECHS — all valued at Rs14.48m. The worth of his production house is Rs19.53m and a business in Dubai is worth 300,000 dirhams. His two cars are valued at Rs3.50m. However, he has a loan of Rs25m.
Syeda Shehla Raza, former deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly, who is contesting the election for a National Assembly seat in Karachi, has limited financial holdings. Her total assets amount to Rs7.80m out of which Rs7.16m is cash in hand or bank, mainly from the salary as legislator. She has eight tola gold jewellery and other items worth Rs390,000. She has no vehicle, property, business or investments.
Syed Murad Ali Shah, former Sindh chief minister, has 466 acres of land mainly inherited in his native Sehwan.The documents submitted for PS-80 (Sehwan-Sann) show that his total wealth is more than Rs213.91m, including Rs158m cash in hand or in bank accounts. He has $264,368 in a foreign currency account, a house in DHA Karachi, one Vigo and one Land Cruiser valued at Rs14.20m.
Ameer Bux Khan Bhutto, son of former Sindh chief minister Mumtaz Bhutto, has one inherited house, 300 acres of agricultural land and four weapons. His total wealth is Rs48.03m with businesses amounting to Rs12.62m and four vehicles valued at Rs13.78m. Mr Bhutto has Rs154,729 in a bank account.
Former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has total wealth of around Rs35.91m, including 123 acres of agricultural land, three plots and an ancestral house in Sukkur. His income in the fiscal year 2016-17 was Rs11.75m and he paid Rs1.74m as income tax.
MQM-Bahadurabad chief Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui lives in a family-owned house and all his assets are worth around Rs1.41m. However, his son has gifted prize bonds worth Rs2.50m to him and his cash holding amounts to Rs1.38m.
MQM-PIB chief Dr Farooq Sattar has a financial worth of Rs2.82m, including Rs2.15m in bank. He has a loan of Rs1.35m. Dr Sattar owns a flat and an inherited house, a 2005-model car and his main source of income was salary as parliamentarian.
Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018