‘Thousands of acres land, luxurious vehicles’: Zardari reveals asset details

ISLAMABAD: Declaring his asset details before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), former president and co-chairperson Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari has total assets worth around Rs758.66 million.

According to details submitted by Mr. Zardari with his nomination papers, it reveals that the ex-president owns over a dozen properties in Pakistan, besides his share in five properties inherited from his slain spouse Benazir Bhutto.

The senior politician has a number of agricultural properties in Nawabshah, Larkana and Tando Allahyar areas apart from around 7,400 acres of farmland obtained on lease in Tando Allahyar, Matli, Badin and Nawabshah.

In contravention of media reports that Mr. Zardari owns multiple properties overseas, the PPP co-chairperson stated in his documents that he owns just a single property outside Pakistan — an open plot in the Al-Safa Second area of Dubai, purchased at some unspecified time for an amount equivalent to around Rs100 million.

Asif Zardari has three Toyota Land Cruisers, two BMWs and one Toyota Lexus – all bulletproof. The cost of the unspecified number of horses and cattle belonging to him has been put at Rs 9.9m and he possesses arms and ammunition worth Rs16.60m.

He holds Rs209m cash in hand, Rs89.76m deposited in a private bank.

Besides, the former president also has two properties in Clifton valued at Rs111.51m, a 2,000 square yards plot in the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, purchased for Rs850,000 and a house in Nawabshah worth Rs22.56m.

The worth of assets in possession of Mr. Zardari are half the amount owned by his son Bilawal whose total assets have a value of around Rs 1.5 billion, according to the ECP document.