Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday referred to Maryam Nawaz’s Sargodha rally and said: “Someone had sent me the speech delivered by Maryam Nawaz in Sargodha yesterday.”
“In that speech, she uttered my name with such passion that I would like to tell her: Maryam, please be careful, your husband may get upset because you were constantly repeating my name again and again with such emotion.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the entire nation, especially women, should strongly condemn the “deplorable language used against the daughter of the nation Maryam Nawaz”.
بیٹی مریم نواز شریف کے خلاف قابل افسوس زبان درازی پر پوری قوم خاص طور پر خواتین پرزور مذمت کریں۔ کم ظرفی کے اظہار سے ملک وقوم کے خلاف آپ کے جرائم چھپ نہیں سکتے۔ مسجد نبوی کی حرمت و ناموس کا پاس نہ کرنے والوں سے ماؤں، بہنوں، بیٹیوں کی عزت وتکریم کی کیا توقع ہوسکتی ہے۔
“Your crimes against the country and the nation cannot be hidden. How could those — who cannot respect the sanctity of Masjid Nabawi (PBUH) — be expected to respect the honour of someone’s mothers, sisters, and daughters?”
He continued: “Imran is the first person in history to fall into this abyss of rudeness as the leader of a party. His party went out to make a nation but spoiled the morals of the people instead. To Allah, we belong and to Him, we shall return.”
PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif responded to Khan’s controversial comments about his daughter and said, “He does not know how to respect women. He uses derogatory language, which has not even been witnessed in the worst society. He does know not how to respect women, and he talks about Riyaasat-e-Madinah.”
Former president Asif Ali Zardari said that he condemned the derogatory language used by the PTI chairman.
“Those who have mothers and sisters in their homes do not use such language against other women,” the PPP co-chairman said. “Please, do not stoop so low in the name of politics.”
He added that every person’s mother, sister, and daughter was worthy of respect and that was the message of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to the nation.
“I wish someone would also write a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan based on personal observation and he would take notice of the matter,” he said.
PML-N on its official Twitter account, right after the Multan rally, shared a photo of Imran Khan’s sons and Tyrian White with the message saying how could a man who has not “owned up to his own daughter” respect the daughters of others.
Screenshot of a tweet of PML-N
However, the tweet has now been deleted once people started condemning it.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) dissident leader Raja Riaz Ahmad has become the Leader of the Opposition in the lower house of Parliament, with the support of 16 lawmakers, following the withdrawal of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q)’s Moonis Elahi.
Speaker National Assembly (NA) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf issued notification of Riaz as being elected as the Opposition leader.
Earlier, Moonis Elahi withdrew his candidature as the Opposition leader, paving the way for a one-on-one contest between Ghous Bakhsh Mahar and Riaz.
In 2016, Raja Riaz quit the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after he decided to join PTI.
Riaz, who switched sides from PTI during the vote of no-confidence against the then Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, had previously announced that he would contest the next general election on the ticket of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The Opposition leader’s seat fell vacant after Shehbaz Sharif was elected prime minister following the ouster of Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion vote.
Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that Pakistan is likely to receive an investment worth $1 billion from Saudi Arabia.
During his speech, the PM asked businessmen to speak about their problems and said: “We need to analyse the economic situation with patience.”
The premier then requested the business community to provide solutions as the local currency has lately been fluctuating significantly against the United States (US) dollar. “I am not here for political point-scoring,” PM Shehbaz clarified.
“When I took the oath on April 11, the rate of United States (US) dollar against the Pakistani currently was 189,” said Shehbaz.
“The Rs. 60-65 increase in the rupee value against the greenback wasn’t the coalition government’s fault,” Shehbaz said, adding that when the former government speculated that they would be ousted, they reduced the petroleum prices despite a price hike in the international market, thus going against the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“During the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) tenure loans worth Rs22,000 billion were taken which shows an 80 per cent increase from 2018,” he said, adding that “powerful echelons” in the country supported their “favourite” person.
Shedding light on his decision regarding the ban imposed on the import of luxury and non-essential items, PM Shehbaz said that while he banned the import of certain items for some time, he did not increase the duties because the “elite class would have still purchased imported items after paying duties.”
The premier said: “Pakistan cannot afford to purchase gas worth $20 billion; we have to slowly and gradually move towards solar and wind energy.”
“If green energy comes to Pakistan, we will save Pakistan’s funds,” said PM Shehbaz.
The premier arrived in Karachi earlier today on a day-long visit.
The Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) on Friday declared 25 dissident members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) de-seated while announcing its verdict in a case pertaining to the dissident members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs).
In a unanimous verdict, ECP announced that the MPAs will be defected from the party by voting in favour of Hamza Shehbaz, which means that the election that got Hamza Shehbaz the CM seat might not be valid. The reference against PTI dissidents who voted for Hamza Shehbaz in the election of Punjab chief minister was sent by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Former Planning Minister and senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar on Friday called out the de-seated members of the party and said that ‘lotay washroom kay elawa kisi kaam kay nahi rahay’. [Lotay are now only good for use in the washroom].
Speaking to journalists outside ECP Umar congratulated the nation saying “another chapter of heinous politics has closed today”. “Some of the political parties have used politics for businesses as they are involved in horse-trading,” Umar said, adding that these people [the current leadership] come into power by investing money and earn more by misusing their power.
In the election for the chief minister’s slot on April 16, 2022, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shehbaz got 197 votes as opposed to the required number of 186 in the House of 371, meaning the support of PTI dissidents was key to his victory.
Journalist Majid Nizami in his report said, “As per the rules of the Punjab Assembly (PA), the chief minister is elected with a simple majority, therefore 186 votes out of the 371-seat assembly. But if no candidate secures the votes of a majority of the total membership for the assembly in the first round then the second round of voting is held. In this round, the member who secures the most votes, from amongst the members present that day, will win.”
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz reacting to the news said, “No matter what PTI does, the dream of snatching Punjab from the tiger will be shattered.”
PTI کچھ بھی کرلے،شیر سے پنجاب چھیننے کا خواب چکنا چور ہو گا انشاءاللّہ۔پنجابیوں کو اپنے صوبے کو فرح گوگی کی لوٹ مار اور تباہی کے حوالے کر دینے پر شدید غصہ ہے جس کا حساب وہ انتخابات میں چکتا کر دیں گے۔ECP کو دن رات گالیاں دینے والے عمران خان کو آج تھوڑی شرم تو آئی ہو گی مگر کہاں!
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 20, 2022
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday in his jalsa in Gujranwala criticised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz.
Khan said, “Once a woman from the American Embassy came to [Pakistan], Maryam called her at her house, opened the door of her car, and brought her inside. The way she was walking besides the American lady, the only thing left was for Maryam to lie down and tell the lady to pass over her so that her shoes don’t get dirty.”
ایک مرتبہ امریکی ایمبیسی سے خاتون آئی مریم نواز نے اسے اپنے گھر بلایا ، اس کی گاڑی کا دروازہ کھولا ، صرف ایک ہی کسر باقی رہ گئی تھی کہ مریم لیٹ جاتیں اور ان خاتون سے کہتی کہ میرے اوپر سے گزر کر جائیں تاکہ آپ کے جوتے گندے نہ ہوجائیں، عمران خان#GeoNewspic.twitter.com/hRmjzPu20x
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 18, 2022
Khan was talking about United States (US) Charge d’ Affaires Angela Aggeler, who visited Jati Umrah on October 14, 2021. On her arrival, she was received by Maryam Nawaz.
The PTI chairman hit at Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif as well and said, “Shehbaz Sharif you have worked really hard. You have polished many boots. Whoever came from the American Embassy you used to polish their boots.”
Berating the Sharif brothers, Khan said: “Shehbaz Sharif is asking what to do after becoming the prime minister. He said that inflation is rising and foreign exchange is tumbling. The two brothers (Shehbaz and Nawaz Sharif) are now trapped and they are wondering what to do.”
The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday in its decision on a presidential reference seeking interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution, which is related to the status of defecting lawmakers, said the votes of defecting lawmakers will not be counted.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar gave the majority verdict while Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail were the dissenting judges.
Question 1: Should Article 63-A have a limited or a broad, purpose-oriented interpretation?
The short-order said that the first question was related to the proper approach to be taken for the interpretation and application of Article 63-A.
“In our view, this provision cannot be read and applied in isolation and in a manner as though it is aloof from, or indifferent to, whatever else is provided in the Constitution,” the verdict stated.
It said that Article 63-A was an “expression in the Constitution itself of certain aspects of the fundamental rights that inhere in political parties under clause (2) of Article 17,” adding that the two provisions were “intertwined”.
“Defections rightly stand condemned as a cancer afflicting the body politic. They cannot be countenanced,” the order said, adding that 63-A must be interpreted in a “purposive and robust manner”.
“The pith and substance of Article 63-A are to enforce the fundamental right of political parties under Article 17 […] It must therefore be interpreted and applied in a broad manner, consistent with fundamental rights,” the verdict said.
Question 2: Will the defecting members’ vote be counted, given equal weightage?
Giving its stance on the second question, the verdict said that the vote of any member of a parliamentary party in a house “that is cast contrary to any direction issued by the latter in terms of para (b) of clause (1) of Article 63-A cannot be counted and must be disregarded, and this is so regardless of whether the party head, subsequent to such vote, proceeds to take, or refrains from taking, an action that would result in a declaration of defection.”
Question 3: Will the defectors be disqualified for life?
“While it is for parliament to enact such legislation, it must be said that it is high time that such a law is placed on the statute book. If such legislation is enacted it should not amount to a mere slap on the wrist but must be a robust and proportionate response to the evil that it is designed to thwart and eradicate,” the order stated.
Question 4: Measures that can be taken to prevent defection, floor crossing, and vote-buying
On the question of the measures that can be taken to curb vote-buying, the verdict refrained from giving an opinion on the fourth question, submitted by the president was returned by the court as it was “stated in terms” that were “vague, and too broad and general”.
What is Article 63-A?
Article 63(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan deals with the defection of parliamentarians.
According to the Article, a lawmaker can be disqualified on the grounds of defection if they vote or abstain from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which they belong.
However, this is restricted to three instances where they have to follow the party’s directions:
Election of the prime minister or chief minister;
Vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence;
Money bill or a Constitution (amendment) bill.
Per the Article, the head of the party is required to present a written declaration that the MNA concerned has defected.
However, prior to presenting the declaration, the head of the party will have to give the MNA concerned a chance to explain the reasons for defection.
Following that, the party chief will then forward the written declaration to the speaker, who would, in turn, hand it over to the chief election commissioner (CEC).
The CEC will have 30 days at its disposal to confirm the declaration. Once confirmed, the MNA concerned will no longer be a member of the House and their “seat shall become vacant”.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that dissolving assemblies is not the solution to the current economic crisis in the country.
Speaking outside the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) office in Islamabad, he said, “The government is working hard to get the situation under control” and urged that political parties should sit together to derive a solution.
Khaqan said that the decisions need the support of institutions and the people because Pakistan is everyone’s responsibility.
“Our country has always had unconstitutional intervention in politics. That intervention also plays a role in getting us where we are today,” he added.
“This destruction started four years ago when the PTI government came to power,” he claimed. “Today, Imran Khan is the sole person responsible for the economic turmoil in Pakistan. You cannot expect a government to immediately fix things that he spoiled.”
The PML-N leader’s statement has come when the dollar rate is at its peak. This spell of the dollar’s persistent rise against the rupee began last week.
Earlier, it was reported that government would either dissolve the assemblies or increase the petrol prices in the upcoming days.
It was said that if the government does not increase the fuel prices Pakistan may face a much worse situation than what is happening in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and Former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan said that he has recorded a video, in which he has mentioned each and every character behind the “conspiracy” against his government, and if something happens to him, it will be released.
Addressing a rally in Sialkot on Saturday, Khan claimed that his life is in danger and a “conspiracy” is being hatched to take his life. According to him, the video is stored in a “safe place.”
“I have recorded this video as I don’t consider what I do as politics, this is jihad to me,” the PTI chairman added.
The former PM said, through this video, he will expose everyone who went “against the country’s interest. He urged people to come out against the current government and support PTI and if they do not do this, the “public will have no future”.
Khan praised the judiciary and said they took a good initiative by taking a suo motu on the night of the no-confidence vote and opened the gates of the courts.
The PTI chairman told the judiciary that Rs24 billion corruption cases were filed against the current PM Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Minister (CM) Hamza Shahbaz, and his brother, Suleman Shahbaz.
He said that the former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director Dr Rizwan, was bold enough to continue investigating corruption cases against the “Sharif mafia”.
Reacting to a police crackdown at the party’s venue, Khan said that when PTI was in power, it did not stop the then-Opposition from holding long marches, rallies, or sit-ins.
On Saturday, police got the PTI’s rally venue vacated after they tried to hold a public meeting at the CTI ground, a property belonging to the Christian community, without their consent. However, the party changed the venue to the public VIP Ground in Sialkot.
Khan claimed that his party has always remained peaceful, but warned Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the government, that if they resort to violence, then they would “not get any place to hide”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Usman Dar and other party members were arrested on Saturday after a police crackdown at the party’s rally venue in Sialkot.
Dar shared a video on Twitter, saying he was speaking from a “prison van”. Others could also be seen with him.
Dar said, “We will bear imprisonment but remain loyal to our leader Imran Khan. And listen closely, we will come out of the jails and again hold a rally in Sialkot. Our leader will again come to Sialkot. And under the leadership of Imran Khan, we will bury this imported government, these puppets of America forever.”
Earlier, in the day police launched a crackdown on PTI’s activists and got the rally venue vacated after they tried to hold a public meeting at the CTI ground, a property belonging to the Christian community, without their consent. However, now the party has changed the venue to the public VIP Ground in Sialkot.
The Christian community lodged a protest as PTI had not taken prior permission from them for the rally. When the police arrived to stop the arrangements, many PTI workers showed resistance, however police baton-charged and used tear gas to disperse PTI workers.
Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Hasan Iqbal, who was present at the site, told reporters, “As you know we are right now standing on a ground that belongs to the Christian community. They had filed a writ [petition] in the high court, asking that no political rally be held on the grounds.”
He added that the “political party’s leaders” sought permission to hold the rally but the Christian community refused. “Then we came here and told them that we can help you with regards to an alternative venue. What has happened after that is there for you to see,” he added.
In a video, Iqbal can be heard talking to PTI members. He said, “No one is stopping you. This land is private. You didn’t take permission from them. Your party talks about rule of law. Does the law allow you to do a jalsa on this land without the Christian community’s consent?”
“We have been trying to tell your this for two days. Try to understand it”, he added.
Brilliant response by Sialkot DPO. Calm, composed, soft but firm.
Following the situation, former Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan claimed, “What imported govt did in Sialkot against our leadership & workers is outrageous, but not unexpected. This bunch of criminals out on bail and their convict mafia boss in London have always used fascist tactics against opponents when they are in power.”
In a press conference, Shafqat Mehmood, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Firdous Ashiq Awan blamed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif for the police action and urged the administration to release PTI leaders who have been arrested.
Official documents revealed that several members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-federal Insaf’s cabinet enjoyed gains in their fortunes during their term in parliament and as ministers, despite being elected on pledges of fighting corruption.
According toSAMAA TV, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, Omar Ayub Khan, Azam Khan Swati, Khusro Bakhtiar, Faisal Vawda, Shafqat Mehmood, Fehmida Mirza, Zubaida Jalal, Mahboob Sultan, and Tariq Cheema are among the listed former ministers.
Since select ministers received notices to explain their excessive wealth, the majority blamed weak wealth and asset declaration regulations, which did not contribute to increases in the valuation of assets overtime or the amalgamation of entities.
An inquiry into assets spontaneously declared before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Pakistan’s tax authorities — primarily the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) — by cabinet members who worked under former Prime Minister Imran Khan disclosed that plenty of of them saw a tremendous upsurge in their riches, with growth proportions primarily in the triple digits.
As per the official record, the ECP sent notices to at least six former ministers while they were still in government in 2019 and 2020, requesting them to clarify their wealth-related issues.
From 2014 to 2019, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who has been a staple of the parliament for more than a decade and served twice in the federal cabinet in two different governments, had a 241 per cent growth in his wealth.
He and his wife held assets worth only Rs72.5 million in 2014, according to asset declarations he submitted to the ECP and the FBR. In the following three years, his assets nearly quadrupled, reaching Rs278.3 million, a 283.86 per cent increase over his wealth in 2014. Qureshi’s fortune dropped dramatically to Rs184.2 million in 2018, the year he returned to the Treasury benches, albeit with a new party, the PTI. However, while in power, it soon increased to Rs247.1 million in 2019, a rise of 240.82 per cent since 2014.
When questioned, Qureshi recounted how the worth of his assets had evolved over the years.
“The reason for the increase in assets was that during 2015-16, my wife received her share from the sale of property situated in Lahore, which had been gifted by her mother, and shares from sale proceeds of inherited property worth Rs169.6 million and Rs22.6 million,” he claimed. In October 2017, duplicates of sale deeds were handed to the ECP, according to the former minister.
“The ECP raised this observation too,” he said regarding the increase in his wealth, adding, “I and my dependent family members are all filers with the FBR”.
Sheikh Rashid, the former interior minister, watched his fortune increase by nearly 278.68 per cent between 2014 and 2019.
The financial disclosures for 2014 revealed that he only had Rs39.4 million in assets. Earnings climbed by Rs0.4 million to Rs39.8 million. His holdings steadily expanded over the next two years, reaching Rs44.7 million in 2016 and Rs46.7 million in 2017.
Conversely, in 2018, the time he was elected to power, his assets boosted by Rs100 million to Rs149.2 million. In 2019, there was no movement in reported assets. After inquired why his assets had suddenly changed, Rashid said that the discrepancy was due to an advance payment he had obtained for reselling a portion of land in 2018.
“I received Rs100 million as advance after making a deal of land to be sold last year, [2021],” he said, adding, “There is no such increase in my assets”. The former interior minister stated that the rise in his declarations submitted with the FBR and the ECP had been properly disclosed.
Between 2014 and 2019, the fortune of former federal minister of water Omar Ayub and his wife jumped by 203 per cent.
As per Ayub’s filings to the ECP and FBR in 2014, he and his wife held assets worth Rs461.8 million. This comprised Rs132 million in assets held by his wife and Rs329 million in assets owned by the minister. This value had risen to Rs1.4 billion by 2019. Surprisingly, while his wife’s holdings increased slightly to Rs201 million, Ayub’s assets increased to Rs1.2 billion. Each has debts worth only Rs26.3 million, according to the disclosures.
As a result, the ECP expressed concerns about Ayub’s and his family’s unexpected surge in wealth.
“It was explained to the ECP in 2019 that it [increase in wealth] is because of group formation having no cash involvement,” Ayub said, confirming that the top poll body had issued him a notice on this subject. Ayub claimed that he owned shares in Nova Synpac Ltd. and NovaGene Pharmaceuticals Ltd., which increased in value by approximately Rs1.071 billion.
“My assets have decreased (excluding this group formation) since I took an oath as a minister because I resigned from my group,” he claimed, adding that the increase was due to the consolidation of all of his businesses under the group.
“This cannot be reflected in a declaration, which is always a reflection of statements submitted to the FBR and there cannot be any difference [between them] otherwise it would have been challenged there,” he explained.
Azam Swati, the former federal railways minister, saw his fortune grow by 202 per cent from Rs823.2 million in 2015 to about Rs2.04 billion in 2019. He reported that his liabilities increased from Rs417 million in 2015 to Rs811 million in 2019.
“[Your] figures are wrong due to incomplete information being furnished before ECP by members and cabinet members owing to faulty legal requirements mentioned in ECP Act 2017,” he explained.
He further said that his situation was slightly unusual. “In Pakistan, I have no income and no business.” I am confident that our FBR wealth statement [filed] will be compared to ECP in 2019 [asset declarations],” he remarked, worried that the statistics may contain a few errors.
“ECP has no efficiency and capability to audit assets and liabilities,” he disclosed, adding, “We were making mistakes filing combined [wife and husband together]”.
“Now we have corrected the mistake and filed separately because the wife is not dependent,” Swati told SAMAA TV.
Khusro Bakhtiar, the former federal commerce minister, saw his fortune rise by 127.8% from Rs109.3 million in 2013 to Rs249 million in 2019. In 2014, he had assets of Rs130 million, which more than doubled to Rs278 million in 2015, shrank to just Rs196 million in 2016, and then surged again in the next three years.
“Increase in assets were mainly comprised of [various] sources during the year 2014 to 2019,” he told SAMAA TV, detailing that these sources included savings from agricultural income, proceeds from the sale of land worth Rs40 million, other sources which contributed Rs20 million.
Bakhtiar also claimed that he actually paid Rs27.5 million in agricultural taxes from 2017 to 2020, and that he owed Rs60 million in 2016.
Former federal minister for education Shafqat Mahmood and his family had a 308 per cent growth in asset valuation between 2013 and 2019, making them one of the most successful federal ministers in terms of percentage increases. According to Mehmood’s filings, his and his family’s assets were valued at just Rs37 million in 2013, but had grown to Rs151 million by 2019.
“My assets have not changed since 2013 onwards,” Mehmood asserted, explaining “The change that you see is the cost re-evaluation from purchase price to market price”. The ex-minister further said that he has 360 kanals of hereditary land, a few more plots, and automobiles that he never assessed.
“There will, of course, be some variation regarding bank accounts. There will also be a slight difference in detail offered to FBR and ECP with regards to bank accounts,” he maintained. He went on to say that in his previous disclosure, he had combined the amounts in all of his bank accounts to present a single total.
“My wife is a distinct taxpayer because she works, but I have included her assets as well”, he explained.
Fehmida Mirza, the former federal minister for interprovincial coordination, had a similar scenario, with her net worth rising from Rs65 million in 2013 to Rs164 million in 2019.
“I did not see any rise in my assets and wealth at all,” she told SAMAA TV. She did, although, reveal that she had sold some property in Pakistan in order to purchase a home in the United Kingdom.
“This new increase in my assets has already been declared with the FBR and the ECP,” she stated.
Contrary to the PTI’s cabinet’s millionaire members, one of the “weakest” members of the federal cabinet, former federal minister Zubaida Jalal and her husband, had a 1,189 per cent growth in their fortune in a short period of time. Their riches increased from Rs9 million to Rs116 million in 2019.
Jalal, on the other hand, described the quick spike in wealth as the outcome of changes in declaration requirements.
“There is no big difference in my assets’ declaration” she asserted while speaking to SAMAA TV. The value of immovable assets was not mentioned in data provided in past elections, she said, noting that the ECP declaration requirements changed over time.
“[We are] required to mention values of assets in the asset declaration for this time,” she stated. She explained that the variations in asset values were attributable to market forces working on enterprises.
“Ups and downs will keep happening [in mining operations and business],” she said, as she reminded that her husband owns the National Coal Mining Company since the 1960s.
Former state minister Mahboob Sultan was one among the ministers who saw only double-digit asset growth. Only 81 per cent of his assets increased from Rs126 million in 2018 to Rs227.2 million in 2019. It’s worth noting, however, that his growth of nearly Rs100 million occurred while he was in the cabinet of ministers.
Tariq Cheema, the former federal minister for housing and infrastructure, showed the smallest growth in his wealth, going from Rs73 million in 2014 to Rs112 million in 2019. He did not, however, assess the value of his inherited assets and report them to the electoral or tax authorities.
Former federal minister Faisal Vawda and his family witnessed their fortune increase by 25 per cent from Rs507 million in 2017 to Rs630 million in 2019. He was among the most controversial cabinet ministers who were eventually dismissed by the ECP.
Despite multiple requests from SAMAA TV, neither Sultan, Cheema, Vawda, nor an ECP official have commented on inquiries regarding their wealth.
