Sharif among Pak’s richest politicians

Islamabad, April 22

Amidst the Panama Papers leak row, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has emerged as one of the richest politicians in Pakistan with personal assets of Rs 2 billion, an increase of over a billion in just four years. However, he does not own any property abroad.

The Election Commission yesterday released the assets statements of Sharif for 2015. The value of his assets in 2011 was Rs 166 million, which swelled to Rs 261.6 million in 2012 and then to Rs 1.82 billion in 2013, making him a declared billionaire.

The Election Commission said that Sharif received over Rs 215 million from his son Hussain Nawaz in 2015. He had previously received remittances from his son, worth Rs 239 million and Rs 197.5 million in 2014 and 2013, respectively. 

The Prime Minister is among the few billionaires in the National Assembly, the others being Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmakers Khayal Zaman and Sajid Hussain Toori.

The Prime Minister owns a Toyota Land Cruiser, gifted to him by an unspecified individual, as well as two Mercedes vehicles, the Dawn reported.

The house he lives in is owned by his mother. He also has multiple foreign and local currency accounts, huge swathes of agricultural land and investments in industrial units such as sugar, textile and paper mills. He also declared, for the first time, ownership of birds and animals worth Rs 2 million.

The statements of assets were released amidst the ongoing controversy around the Panama Papers leak that has reportedly exposed the secret offshore dealings of around 140 political figures globally. — PTI