Pak elections: Independent candidate declares over Rs 400 billion in assets

An independent candidate contesting the National Assembly and Punjab province elections in Pakistan has declared around Rs 403 billion in assets, according to a media report.

Mohammad Hussain Shaikh, contesting from NA-182 and PP-270 in Muzaffargarh, claims that he owns land comprising almost 40 per cent of Muzaffargarh city as well as the Lang Malana, Taliri, Chak Taliri and Latkaran areas, Dawn reported.

He claims that the land had previously been disputed, but a Supreme Court bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Umar Atta Bandial recently decided in his favour in a case that had went on for around 88 years, the paper said.

Shaikh said the land owned by him was worth approximately Rs 403.11 billion.

His nomination papers also state the worth of the previously disputed land at between Rs 300 and Rs400 billion, in addition to other pieces of land valued in tens of millions of rupees.

Shaikh is now the richest candidate according to details of assets declared in the nomination papers that have come forward so far.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and Pakistan Peoples Party leaders Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari have all declared assets worth hundreds of millions of rupees.