The political landscape of Pakistan is heavily influenced by landlords and capitalists, a fact highlighted by the recent “Dubai Leaks” which disclosed the ownership of properties by Pakistani elites in Dubai, totaling around $11 billion.
The “Dubai Unlocked” project, drawing data largely from 2020 and 2022, offers detailed insights into hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai, focusing on individual ownership rather than corporate holdings or commercial properties.
Among the notable Pakistanis identified in the Dubai property records are President Asif Ali Zardari’s three children, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s spouse, Sharjeel Memon and their families, Senator Faisal Vawda, Farah Gogi, Sher Afzal Marwat, four MNAs, and several MPAs from the Sindh and Balochistan assemblies. The list also includes late Gen Pervez Musharraf, former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, over a dozen retired generals, a police chief, an ambassador, and a scientist, all of whom have direct or indirect property holdings in Dubai.
However, notable figures from Pakistani politics not featured in the Dubai Leaks have also been identified as wealthy, as previous revelations such as the Panama Papers have demonstrated.
Recent data from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) indicates the presence of at least 12 billionaires in Pakistan’s National Assembly, including PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, counted among these billionaires, holds more assets in the UAE than in Pakistan, having loaned over Rs 1.24 billion to four companies from his inheritance.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari, owning extensive agricultural land and properties in Dubai, is assessed to have assets worth Rs 676.87 million, with a significant portion in cash. Similarly, Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif possesses significant agricultural and non-agricultural assets in Pakistan, along with properties abroad and substantial bank holdings.
Here is the list of Pakistani politicians who possess assets worth a billion rupees or more. But it’s important to note that estimating the wealth of politicians can be challenging due to variations in transparency, the sources of wealth, and changes over time.
- Asif Ali Zardari – President of Pakistan and co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Zardari has been reported to have significant wealth, including various business interests in Pakistan and abroad.
- Nawaz Sharif – Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The Sharif family has extensive business interests in Pakistan, including in industries such as steel and real estate.
- Shahbaz Sharif – Current PM and brother of Nawaz Sharif and a prominent politician in his own right. He has served as Chief Minister of Punjab and has also been involved in various business ventures.
- Jahangir Tareen – Politician and a prominent businessman, Tareen has interests in agriculture, sugar mills, and other industries. He has been reported to be one of the wealthiest politicians in Pakistan.
- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – The son of current President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zaradri.
- Ihsan Bajwa, PML-N member from Bahawalnagar
- Noor Alam Khan – MNA from JUI
- Arbab Umar Amir Ayub – MNA
- Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain – Former Prime Minister
- Chaudhry Salik Hussain – son of former premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
- Shahid Khaqan Abbasi – Former Prime Minister
The other billionaires in the National Assembly include Moonis Elahi of the PML-Q, PTI lawmaker Mohammad Yaqoob Sheikh from Dera Ismail Khan, ANP’s Amir Haider Azam Khan Hoti from Mardan, PML-N’s Noorul Hasan Tanveer from Bahawalnagar, and Minister for Power Omar Ayub, PTI lawmaker from Haripur.
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive, and the wealth of politicians can fluctuate over time due to various factors such as business dealings, legal issues, and political changes.
