ISLAMABAD: The new National Assembly has eight billionaires, including a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker from Peshawar who is the wealthiest member with a net worth of more than Rs3.2 billion.

According to a report compiled by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen), 35 legislators have criminal cases pending against them in various courts. Eighteen of them belong to the PTI, nine to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, five to the Pakistan Peoples Party and one each to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the Balochistan Awami Party and an independent.

About wealthy MNAs, the report said that four billionaires belonged to the PTI, two to the PML-N and one each to the PPP and the Awami National Party.

The report is based on information contained in Form B and affidavits annexed to the nomination papers submitted by the candidates to the Election Commission of Pakistan for the 2018 general elections.

Fafen has converted the values in foreign currency in Pakistani rupees at the rate applicable on Aug 13.

Noor Alam Khan, a PTI MNA from Peshawar, tops the list with assets worth over Rs3.2bn followed by Ehsanul Haq Bajwa, a PML-N lawmaker from Bahawalnagar, who has the net worth of Rs2.30bn.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who has been elected from from NA-200 in Larkana, also made to the list with assets and cash worth Rs1.54bn.

PTI MNA from Karachi Najeeb Haroon has net worth of Rs1.32bn, while another PML-N MNA from Bahawalnagar, Noorul Hassan Tanvir, has assets valued at Rs1.25bn.

PTI’s Sher Akbar Khan, MNA from Buner, Yaqoob Shaikh from D.I. Khan and ANP’s Amir Haider Azam Khan have cash and other valuables worth over Rs1bn.

Five MNAs have assets worth less than Rs1 million. Two of them belong to the PTI, and one each to the PML-N, MQM-P and PPP.

Farrukh Habib, PTI MNA from Faisalabad, has net value of Rs932,945; while Zille Huma of the same party has Rs700,000.

Romina Khurshid Alam of the PML-N has Rs500,000; MQM-P’s M. Salahuddin, MNA from Hyderabad, has assets and cash worth only Rs800,178 and Nasiba Channa of the PPP has Rs340,500.

The Fafen report said 172 legislators are agriculturists or businesspersons by profession, 24 are landlords and 32 are full-time politicians, parliamentarians or political and social activists.

The new assembly has 13 medical doctors and 14 housewives, whereas five female legislators hold MPhil and PhD degrees compared to only one male.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2018