PM, son declare latest assets to ECP

ISLAMABAD: The latest declarations of assets by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and his MPA son, Abdul Qadir Gilani, show that the son is almost four times richer than his father, notwithstanding the fact that the newly added assets of junior Gilani in Multan city and DHA Karachi have not been mentioned.

While the source of income of the PM is his salary only, his son has massively invested in prize bonds business that has rocketed 150 percent from Rs2 million in 2009 to Rs5 million in June 2010, besides agriculture income. If the documents are any guide, Prime Minister Gilani managed to save more than any other Pakistani of his earning.

He collected Rs971,340 under the head of salary with domestic expenses only to the tune of Rs400,000, thereby saving Rs 571,340 in the financial year ending June 2010 that subsequently increased his total assets from Rs18,908,484 in 2009 to Rs19,479,824 in June 2010.

The documents obtained from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also reveal that the prime minister of Pakistan has only one account and that is in the Islamabad branch of a British bank, Barclays, instead of operating the account in a Pakistani bank.

PM Gilani has declared assets close to Rs20 million but son Qadir Gilani owns assets valued at around Rs75 million, according to the details submitted to the ECP. Although, junior Gilani has added two plots to his property details of 2010, one in Multan city and another in Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, he has not mentioned their market value. If it is roughly estimated, the net value of his assets could conveniently cross Rs80 million if these properties are added.

Prime Minister Gilani has not declared even a single car owned by him but his son Abdul Qadir Gilani keeps two, an imported bulletproof car that made headlines during the Hajj scam, and one Toyota Surf. The price shown of the bulletproof jeep is Rs12.80 million and that of Toyota Surf Rs2.2 million.

Regarding the controversial bulletproof car, junior Gilani refused to answer the question about the source of income for the vehicle when he appeared before the FIA team. He though confirmed the expensive vehicle is owned by him but did not answer the question himself.

PM Gilani owns 200 tolas of gold and his son has 500 tolas. They enjoy equal status only in terms of furniture articles as each of them own the stuff worth Rs200,000.

Although, PM Gilani does not have a single prize bond, junior Gilani has them worth five million rupees. In their 2008’s nomination papers, both of them had declared themselves paying not a single penny under the head of income tax.

The father and son both purchased houses in 2009, the former in Multan for Rs6.3 million and the latter in DHA Lahore for Rs32.50 million. PM Gilani is now landless but his son owns 116 acres, all of them gifted to him from different sources, and two residential plots in DHA Karachi and Multan.

Prime minister’s spokesman Shabbir Anwar and Abdul Qadir Gilani did not respond to calls and to messages sent to them. The PM’s spokesman has not responded even the questions sent on March 1. He sought a day’s time to respond but did not. The question sent to him are being reproduced below:

1) According to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s assets declaration of June 2009, he purchased a house after selling his inherited land situated in Mouza Hamid Pur Kenora. Prime Minister’s son, Abdul Qadir Gilani added, in his assets details of 2009, a tract of land from the same Mouza. Was it sold from father to son directly or through a third person who first had it purchased from PM Gilani, selling/gifting this to his son?

2) Prime Minister’s residential address in nomination papers is: Gilani House, Ghous-e-Azam Road, Multan. His newly purchased house is addressed as follows: House No 2566/2, Ward No II, Gillani Colony, Multan. May I ask about the real owner of the first house?

3) Fauzia Gilani, PM’s wife, had deposited above Rs45 million to ZTBL to clear her liabilities to satisfy the NAB. There is no mention in assets details of 2008 and 2009 how this amount was mobilized and from where? Could you explain please?

4) According to PM’s assets declaration, he has his account in Barclays Bank and not in any Pakistani bank. Is it true?

In vague clarifications issued by the Press Information Department on behalf of Qadir Gilani in recent days, no fact was denied but it was repeatedly stated that a campaign of vilification was being run against the prime minister and his family.

The News has only been reporting what the PM and his son have declared before the Election Commission.