Pakistan People’s Party Presidential Candidate Asif Ali Zardari will not have to declare his assets
Local Sunday, August 31st, 2008The Constitution does not require contesting presidential candidates or an elected president to declare their assets despite the fact that former president Pervez Musharraf did make his assets public.
It is, however, mandatory under the law for members of parliament, including the prime minister, federal ministers, senators, MNAs and MPAs, to declare their assets annually. `President` Zardari will, thus, have the comfort of not disclosing any of his assets, including the reported $60 million, which were reported to have been unfrozen and put back into his account, although Zardari denies that he owns that amount.
The Swiss account was unfrozen after the government withdrew all corruption cases against him: both within and outside the country. When his opinion was sought on the issue, Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Dilshad said the candidature form for the office of the president “is very simple and does not require from the candidates to declare their assets”. In the past, no presidential candidate or any elected president has ever declared their wealth.
Explaining, Dilshad said it was, however, mandatory for candidates aspiring for the membership of the Senate, the National Assembly or provincial assemblies to show their wealth. It`s also a must for the elected MNAs, MPAs and senators, the prime minister, chief ministers and the federal and provincial cabinet members to declare their assets before the election commission on Sept 30 every year.
PPP spokesperson Farhatullah Babar and Interior Adviser Rehman Malik had said at the time of coming into power of the present government that new cabinet members and the prime minister would be asked to declare their assets soon after their oath-taking. However, it is still to be done.
In the absence of Babar, who is presently in the US, the soft-spoken PPP MNA and one of the spokespersons of the Zardari House, Farah Isphahani was approached to know if the prime minister, his cabinet ministers and the future president, Asif Ali Zardari, would declare their assets. She, however, promised to get back to media after getting a proper response.
Once in the presidency, Zardari would secure himself from fears of re-opening of the NRO or other criminal or legal proceedings as the Constitution provides blanket immunity to the president of Pakistan.
Article 248(2) of the Constitution clearly says, “No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the president or a governor in any court during his term of office.”
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on Aug 31 2008. Filed under