ISLAMABAD: The value of assets owned by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif continued to decline for a second consecutive year, dipping below the level they stood at in 2013.

The prime minister owned assets worth Rs 261.6 million in 2012, but that saw a six-fold increase and reached Rs 1.82 billion in 2013 — the first year of his third stint as the country’s chief executive, making him a declared billionaire for the first time.

In 2014, his assets crossed the two billion-mark, but in 2015 declined slightly to Rs1.96bn. Earlier in 2011, he owned assets worth Rs166m.

According to the statements of assets of lawmakers, released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday, the value of his assets has further declined to Rs1.72bn in the year that ended on June 30, 2016.

ECP releases lawmakers’ assets details; PTI chief doesn’t have a vehicle in his name

The prime minister continued to receive colossal remittances from his elder son Hussain Nawaz in the past four years. The year 2013 was the only time in four years where an amount below Rs200m was remitted to PM Sharif, who received Rs197.5m in 2013, Rs239m in 2014 and Rs215m in 2015. The latest statement shows he received Rs234m from his son in 2016.

Mr Sharif owns a Toyota Land Cruiser, gifted to him by an unspecified individual, as well as two Mercedes cars.

The house he lives in is owned by his mother and he has multiple foreign and local currency accounts, huge swathes of agricultural land and investments in industrial units such as sugar, textile and paper mills.

PM Sharif declared in 2015 for the first time ownership of birds and animals worth Rs2m, which are valued at Rs5m.

The Sharif family’s estate in Raiwind is priced at Rs4m, while his property in Lahore’s Upper Mall area is said to be worth over Rs250m.

Imran Khan

The asset statement of his arch-rival, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan also shows a similar trend. Mr Khan owns assets worth over Rs1.4bn, indicating a whopping increase over the last five years, from a meagre Rs22.9m in 2012, when he also had liabilities worth Rs0.38m.

In 2013, the worth of his assets was Rs 14 million, which grew to Rs 33.3 million in 2014. He then became a billionaire in 2015, placing the value of his assets at Rs 1.33 billion.

The value of his 300-kanal residence in Banigala is Rs750 million and is declared as a “gift” with the ECP. The PTI chief’s Khan House is priced at Rs5.9 million, while he has claimed that the boundary wall of his Banigala estate is worth Rs6.9 million.

Mr Khan’s family home in Lahore’s Zaman Park area has been put at Rs29 million. The PTI chief has also invested over Rs40 million in various schemes, owns furniture worth Rs0.6 million and four goats worth Rs0.2 million.

Mr Khan has also joined the club of carless lawmakers, since the statement shows he sold the last vehicle registered in his name in 2016.

Billionaire MNAs

Other declared billionaires among National Assembly members are Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PTI Secretary General Jahangir Tareen and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MNAs Khayal Zaman and Sajid Hussain Turi.

Considerable properties are held by Mr Turi, the MNA from Parachinar, who has commercial and residential properties in Kurram Agency and Islamabad worth around Rs1.44 billion, and other assets worth around Rs19.78 million, including 32 semi-automatic and automatic weapons.

Mr Abbassi has major shares in the largest private airlines of the country worth Rs900 million, and land worth Rs400 million. Excluding a loan of Rs30 million, the net worth of the minister is around Rs1.29 billion.

Another PTI legislator, Khayal Zaman, is worth more than Rs1.89 billion, and has a loan worth Rs450 million in UAE, and properties there worth more than Rs880 million.

PTI strongman Jahangir Tareen, whose aircraft is regularly used by the PTI leader, has a net worth of only Rs781 million and his shares in JDW Aviation are worth just Rs3.75 million. But his wife, Amina Tareen, is worth Rs172.61 million.

Senators

Among members of the upper house, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar approximately owns assets worth around Rs583.7 million. He has investment worth Rs325 million in Pakistan Investment Bonds, including defence saving certificates.

Jamaat-i-Islami emir Siraj-ul-Haq is amongst the parliamentarians who owns the least assets and have a negligible monetary worth. Mr Haq has nothing other than cash deposits in two banks, which contain only Rs439,472 and Rs2,021,156 in cash.

Other than these assets, he owns agricultural land of unknown value and jointly owns 12 kanals of land, which is also not valued.

JUI-F’s Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the Senate deputy chairman, owns a house in Kalat worth Rs500,000 and a plot in Gwadar worth Rs150,000. He also owns a 20-marla plot in Bhara Kahu worth Rs500,000 and one plot in the Senate Avenue Housing Society, whose value is not mentioned.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2017