Elections 2018: Rich leaders of poor people

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday shared information of assets of prominent electoral candidates including former president Asif Ali Zardari, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Maryam Nawaz. The details show that leaders of the poor nation are very wealthy.

Zardari owns assets worth over Rs758,669,073, Imran Khan over Rs3.8 million, and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz Rs845 million.

The PTI chief earned Rs4,776,611 last year, as per the record submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The documents reveal details of Imran’s earnings from agriculture, salary and bank profits. The cricketer-turned-politician paid Rs303,763 in taxes last year. He does not own a vehicle.

According to the documents, Imran does not own any businesses in Pakistan or abroad. The PTI chairman, however, owns 14 properties across Pakistan and none abroad. The documents mentioned Imran's Zaman Park residence in Lahore as inherited property.

The cricketer-turned-politician owns a 300 kanal sprawling residential mansion in Banigala worth Rs11,471,000. Imran owns another 6 kanal and 16 marla land in village Mohra Noor in Bani Gala, Islamabad, which is worth Rs5,050,000. He has also paid Rs11,970,000 for a flat in Islamabad.

Imran is the owner of 168 acres of agricultural land. The PTI chief has another 243 kanal and 6 marla land in Bhakkar, which is worth Rs4,200,000. He has also submitted details of his foreign trips along with his nomination papers to the ECP.

This year, Imran only travelled to the United Kingdom. The three-day trip cost Rs240,000, according to the documents. Imran's wife, Bushra Bibi, and his two sons with Jemima Khan — Qasim and Sulaiman — have been listed as his dependents.

The documents state that Bushra Bibi's assets have not been included as their marriage took place in 2018. Similarly, Imran's sons have been shown as "not financially dependent".

According to Maryam Nawaz's affidavit, her net assets—as recorded on June 30 for the financial year 2017—amounted to Rs845,953,559. Maryam, who is contesting the general election from NA-125, NA-127, and PP-173 constituencies of Lahore, is a shareholder of the Chaudhry Sugar Mills Limited, Hamza Spinning Mills Limited, Muhammad Buksh Textile Mills Limited, Hudabiya Papers Mills Limited and Hudabiya Engineering Co Private Limited.

She has spent about Rs6.4million on foreign trips in the last three years. Maryam is the owner of 1,506 kanals of irrigation land. The agricultural land owned by her increased by 548 kanals in the last three years.

Furthermore, Maryam invested Rs3.4 million in her family's flour mills and gave a loan worth Rs7 million to Soft Energy Private Limited. Her brother, Hasan Nawaz, who resides outside Pakistan, has given her a loan of Rs20 million.

Maryam, who is expected to be making her political debut on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's platform in the forthcoming general election, has also received Rs40 million as gifts and owns jewellery worth Rs1.7 million.

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari owns assets worth Rs758,669,073. The former president has declared income from agriculture and business as his primary means of earning in the documents submitted to ECP. He owns 349 acres of agricultural land, with 7,399 acres of farmland obtained on lease.

In 2017, the politician earned Rs 134,016,650 from his agricultural business. His earnings from other business last year summed up to Rs 97,51,400, while he paid Rs 26,32,490 in taxes.

Zardari's agricultural income amounted to Rs114,085,000 in 2016, whereas his income from other businesses summed up to Rs82,45,900. He paid Rs21,05,565 in taxes in the same year. In 2015, the PPP co-chairman earned Rs105,560,000 from agriculture and Rs76,66,000 from other businesses. He paid Rs19,05,600 in taxes in the same year.