The wives of Pakistani senators seem to have amassed more wealth than their politician husbands, most of whom have declared the greater part of their assets in the name of their spouses ahead of general elections in the country due later this year.
Muhammad Azam Swati, a senator from North West Frontier Province, along with his spouse Tahira Swati retained his financial position as the richest parliamentarian in Pakistan with consolidated assets of Rs 1.6 billion in Pakistan and the United States.
Swati claims that all his assets in Pakistan other than inherited property are obtained with amounts remitted from overseas.
'I do not have any income and business in Pakistan. All remittances have come from American banks to Pakistani banks,' the Daily Times quoted him as saying.
Swati has declared a number of residential and commercial properties in the United States with a current market value of USD 9.2 million.
He also has 10 plots in posh Bahria Town, eight plots in Top City and many other plots and houses.
Federal Minister for Information Muhammad Ali Khan Durrani's spouse has three plots in posh areas worth Rs 51.4 million. Durrani claims to have inherited agricultural land worth millions.
Pakistan Muslim League Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed's spouse Dushka Sayed is richer than him. She owns a plot in G-14 sector of Islamabad, shares in other property of in-laws, has a car and jewellry. Senator Mushahid has no car, no business capital and no investment. He has only Rs 1,55,600 in cash and his wife owns rest of the possessions, the paper said.
Senator Naeem Hussain Chattha has declared immovable assets worth Rs 21.5 million, including agricultural land and commercial shops. But of this, he claims that property worth Rs 14.8 million is in the name of his wife.