Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif has no assets abroad, poll records claim

Islamabad: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is among the few rupee billionaire parliamentarians, but has no assets abroad, according to details of assets of lawmakers released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The details are based on declarations for 2015 submitted by members of parliament to the ECP, which they are required to do every year under the rules.

The release comes amid the ongoing controversy around the Panama Papers leaks, which reportedly named 220 Pakistanis including the PM’s three children among owners of offshore companies.

The value of the assets owned by the prime minister and his spouse comes to around two billion Pakistan rupees (Dh70 million) — an increase of over a billion in four years.

His son Hussain Nawaz, settled in the UK, sent him Rs210.5 million from abroad.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has no assets abroad and according to him his declaration his residence at Banigala, which is worth of Rs750 million, was gifted to him.

The PTI leader’s residence in Lahore is valued at Rs220 million. He also owns a luxury flat in Islamabad.

PM’s son-in-law Captain Safdar owns more than Rs10 million in assets while PM’s nephew Hamza Shahbaz, son of Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, owns Rs340 million.

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah, of the Pakistan People’s Party, has Rs40.8 million worth of assets.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman owns assets worth Rs6.8 million and has no personal car.

Jamshed Dasti, with total assets of only Rs2,653, is the poorest parliamentarian, according to the records.