ISLAMABAD: As many as 10 out of the total 342 members of the National Assembly have declared that they own assets worth over a billion rupees, according to a statement of assets held by MNAs for year 2018 released by the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday.

They include four members from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), two from its ally Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid — both sons of the Chaudhrys of Gujrat — two from the PML-N and one each from Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party.

According to the statement of assets and liabilities of the MNAs, Ihsan Bajwa, PML-N MNA from Bahawalnagar, is the richest among the lawmakers having total assets worth more than Rs3 billion, excluding liabilities of Rs1.18bn in the UAE. He has huge business capital of Rs56.4 million dirhams, nine houses and one building in the UAE. The value of his agricultural property in Pakistan comes to Rs249.5m. He also owns commercial and residential properties valuing Rs92.5m.

List includes names of four PTI MNAs, two sons of Chaudhrys of Gujrat & Bilawal

Arbab Umar Amir Ayub, PTI MNA from NA-28 (Peshawar), owns assets the worth of which comes to over 2.56bn. He owns 28 properties including plots and poultry farms valuing Rs2.41bn and holds Rs12.49m in seven bank accounts.

Chaudhry Salik Hussain of the PML-Q, son of former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, is also on the list, with the worth of his assets put at Rs1.60bn. He holds millions of shares in different industrial groups and Rs410m in bank accounts.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is also on the list of declared billionaires having assets worth Rs1.54bn — most of which are abroad.

He holds over two dozen movable and immovable assets and has extended loans of over Rs1.24bn to four companies out of the money he inherited from his mother Benazir Bhutto. Mr Bhutto-Zardari has shares in two villas in Dubai, one of which is located at Jumairah.

He has also declared owning 10 sets of jewellery and ornaments and seven watches among his assets in Dubai, gifted to him by his mother, but has not mentioned their value.

Najib Haroon, PTI’s MNA from NA-256 (Karachi), owns assets of Rs1.54bn. He has business capital of Rs1.34bn and properties worth Rs68.17m. He has Rs36.21m cash in hand and banks and owns four vehicles valuing Rs42.39m.

In addition, one of his wives, Hamida Najib Haroon, owns an apartment in Dubai valued at Rs17.43m and a 1,000 square yards house in DHA Karachi, current market value of which has been shown to be Rs7m. His other spouse Naheed Najib Haroon has a 500 square yards house in a different phase of DHA Karachi.

PML-Q MNA from NA-69 (Gujrat) Moonis Elahi, son of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, owns assets worth Rs1.43bn.

The other billionaires in the National Assembly include Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh, PTI MNA from Dera Ismail Khan; Amir Haider Azam Khan Hoti, ANP MNA from NA-21 (Mardan); Noorul Hasan Tanveer, PML-N lawmaker from NA-169 (Bahawalnagar); and Minister for Power Omar Ayub, PTI MNA from NA-17 (Haripur).

Published in Dawn, July 3rd , 2019