Re: Musharraf's properties
The only thing he apologized was for that sham referundum, and that was only after western media was coming out with ample proof of irregularities, so he had to, to save himself from utter humiliation. He needs to apologize for alot of things.
Re: Musharraf's properties
Politicians should think of designing policies that attract foreign investment in the same way as Musharaf and Aziz. Mushy made money because real values went up. Thanks to him many of us made money. This is very different from embezzling money from government contracts in which everyone except the corrupt politicians make money.
Do you believe he had that much cash working in army for that long? Or did he sell other plots alloted to him and bought this one?
There's not way he could have bought it with cash. However, it's easily believable that if he had plots purchased at army prices in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, they would have appreciated enough to sell and buy this large plot.
There's not way he could have bought it with cash. However, it's easily believable that if he had plots purchased at army prices in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, they would have appreciated enough to sell and buy this large plot.
Thats what I was thinking but not enough information is available so all we can do is speculate.
Thats what I was thinking but not enough information is available so all we can do is speculate.
I agree.
The excuse’s for Mush’s corruption get ever more imaginative 
Politicians should think of designing policies that attract foreign investment in the same way as Musharaf and Aziz. Mushy made money because real values went up. Thanks to him many of us made money. This is very different from embezzling money from government contracts in which everyone except the corrupt politicians make money.
Value's went up after 9/11.
Mush was in charge two years before then when nothing happened.
The biggets embezzelers were in his govt, Chaudry Shujaat, Altaf Hussain, etc.
One would have to be very naive to belive he chose all these very corrupt people, yet was squeaky clean himself.
Re: Musharraf's properties
^^^ ok lets fight on this farm house, but why we forget that MR 100% had $60 millions in swiss accounts, and small rockwood estate that have an air strip. just few streets of villas in spain in BB children names(well off shore company owned by a duabi company owned by bb :) they like to have low profile) thats just the tip of iceberg and
we are crying about one farm house, when each tom and harry in Pak owns one.
I know Mush's no saint but in his defence I would say that land prices have soared appreciably over the last two decades. I am from Islamabad and the same plot of land (say 1 canal or thousand yards) in a posh area of Islamabad (E-7, E-8, F-7, F-8 etc.) that was worth Rs 2 or 3 lacs in the early 80s is now worth Rs 2-3 crores!! i.e. forget the cost of construction, the land alone is worth that much these days. So if Mush bought one or two plots in the early 80s for peanuts (aka army prices) he could now afford to buy a land/house worth crores of rupees. :)
Still £1.25 million (almost Rs 18 crores) is a lot of money
we are crying about one farm house, when each tom and harry in Pak owns one.
No, u are missing the point. It is simply an example of Mush's profiting at the expense of teh Pakistani people.
He has many,many more properties, and other valuables, it will all come out like it did with Zia.
But it will never be proved, like it has never been proved with Zardari - acquitted in all cases.
Anyways, Mush is history, he left as the most hated man in Pakistan due to running such a power hungry and corrupt regime.
I know Mush's no saint but in his defence I would say that land prices have soared appreciably over the last two decades. I am from Islamabad and the same plot of land (say 1 canal or thousand yards) in a posh area of Islamabad (E-7, E-8, F-7, F-8 etc.) that was worth Rs 2 or 3 lacs in the early 80s is now worth Rs 2-3 crores!!
Actually, its more like 10 crores and above, and you can mark off E-7 from the list, its way more than that :)
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i.e. forget the cost of construction, the land alone is worth that much these days. So if Mush bought one or two plots in the early 80s for peanuts (aka army prices) he could now afford to buy a land/house worth crores of rupees. :)
Still £1.25 million (almost Rs 18 crores) is a lot of money
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However, not all the sectors went like that. What Musharraf did was basically embezzlement, because he obtained this farmhouse illegally. This was not meant to be allocated for residential purposes.
Now you have his chief architect trying to legitimize the whole thing and saying he CJ was wrong when he prosecuted him. If he was wrong, then why did you have to oust him Musharraf?
In a 2003 article attacking Musharraf for not paying enough tax, even the PPP conceded that in the 1999-2000 tax year (which was the first year Musharraf, as Chief Executive, voluntarily declared all his assets - somethign Zardari still won’t do), Musharraf’s assets exceeded 30-40 million rupees.
Now given the post 9/11 rise in property prices, imagine how much more that land would be worth.
And finally when he did pay wealth tax in 1999-2000 on his assets worth much more than Rs 30-40 million in the market (or over half a million US dollars), he coughed up only Rs 710 or $12.
The information from the PPP’s document above eliminates the need for speculation - it confirms that Musharraf’s property holdings were more than enough to finance the 30 million rupee purchase of his new house in 2003.
I wonder why he lied in his speech calling himself a ‘middle class’ ka admi. I think he should join the MQM, seriously, he fits right in there with the other thugs.
Actually, its more like 10 crores and above, and you can mark off E-7 from the list, its way more than that :) ?
True but Spock is it really that dear (Rs 10 crores per canal of land) in F-7, F-8 and E-8 sectors?
However, not all the sectors went like that. What Musharraf did was basically embezzlement, because he obtained this farmhouse illegally. This was not meant to be allocated for residential purposes. Now you have his chief architect trying to legitimize the whole thing and saying he CJ was wrong when he prosecuted him. If he was wrong, then why did you have to oust him Musharraf?
I do get your point but some people say similar things about Imran Khan's farm house near Rawal Dam - Bani Gala where Dr AQ Khan has a sprawling house as well, you can actually see it from the impressive newly-built Lake-view park in Islamabad. Now AQ may be a national hero but he was also mighty corrupt!!:) In the video you posted recently that shmuck Babar Awan was accusing Imran of usurping 8.5km of farm land which is a complete lie. Imran does have a farm house in Bani Gala but he does not own the god damn place. We all know he comes from a well-to-do if not mega-rich family so he could probably afford to buy one....not to mention he made some money during his 21-year long glittereing international career. Just for the record was this farm land gifted to Imran after WC glory in 1992 or did he actually buy it?
Actually, its more like 10 crores and above, and you can mark off E-7 from the list, its way more than that :)
However, not all the sectors went like that. What Musharraf did was basically embezzlement, because he obtained this farmhouse illegally. This was not meant to be allocated for residential purposes.
When cities grow, areas that were once farm lands often get convereted to residential areas. This is to be expected and infact the reason many of us buy rural properties. There isnt a sahih hadith or verse in the Quran that says these areas will not become suburbia. These were policies instituted by Gen. Yahya Khan 30 years earlier. However, Islamabad is a different place now. There is a shortage of residential properties in the capital. Things would be even more expensive if the farms were not converted to residential use. In this case, once again, it wasnt just Musharraf and his farm that benefitted when the lands were converted from rural to suburban use. Many people who owned lands in chak Shezad benefitted. This is the difference between making money by embezzling funds from goverment contracts and land development.
Secondly let me point out that that Musharraf's dad had a house in F8 long before Musharraf became a General. In addition Musharrafs brother was working as a doctor in the USA since the 70s. So the family would have had a lot of money to buy properties in Pakistan thru the 80s, 90s and early 2000 at discounted miliatry prices. Is it possible that non secular, hardline sharia following radicals in Pakistan are conducting a witch hunt in revenge for his policies against them?
When cities grow, areas that were once farm lands often get convereted to residential areas. This is to be expected and infact the reason many of us buy rural properties. T*here isnt a sahih hadith or verse in the Quran that says these areas will not become suburbia.* These were policies instituted by Gen. Yahya Khan 30 years earlier. However, Islamabad is a different place now. There is a shortage of residential properties in the capital. Things would be even more expensive if the farms were not converted to residential use. In this case, once again, it wasnt just Musharraf and his farm that benefitted when the lands were converted from rural to suburban use. Many people who owned lands in chak Shezad benefitted. This is the difference between making money by embezzling funds from goverment contracts and land development.
Secondly let me point out that that Musharraf's dad had a house in F8 long before Musharraf became a General. In addition Musharrafs brother was working as a doctor in the USA since the 70s. So the family would have had a lot of money to buy properties in Pakistan thru the 80s, 90s and early 2000 at discounted miliatry prices. Is it possible that non secular, hardline sharia following radicals in Pakistan are conducting a witch hunt in revenge for his policies against them?
Thanks for bringing in the 'religious' angle to the post for no reason :) Musharraf is no saint, he embezzled and as a result he and his top lieutenants, including his little pooch Shaukat Aziz got these farmhouses. Why do you think the Supreme Court took this case for a hearing then? We actually have proof unlike the speculations you are presenting. As for your new theory about him getting money from his brothers and sisters, there are ways to check that. You cannot just expect his brother to send him fat checks to Pakistan to buy property, just like that. Also, the army isnt that saintly either, they take over land through extortion and thuggerish manners too. Someone here suggested he had 'wealthy children'. Lets see now, he has two kids, and lets just rule out the possibility that he gets money from his married daughter (though he did get money by selling Pakistanis :)), leaving his son, who has worked for Watson Wyatt Worldwide from 2000-2005, and now works for ePlanet Ventures (2008-present), so we can rule him out too. Another thing that we are forgetting that he was a very lavish spender. The mujra sessions in the Army House, the hefty fee paid to lawyers to defend his unconstituitional actions, the learjets, his personal bookselling tour at the expense of the nation, all of this cost alot of money too.
I wonder why he lied in his speech calling himself a 'middle class' ka admi. I think he should join the MQM, seriously, he fits right in there with the other thugs.
People's class identity is about how they were raised, not how much money they have. Tony Blair's wife Cherie Booth identified herself as working class despite being a wealthy lawyer, because she was raised in a working class family. You can give a beggar on the street $5 million and that won't make him upper class, he wouldn't act upper class or fit in with upper class people.
People's class identity is about how they were raised, not how much money they have. Tony Blair's wife Cherie Booth identified herself as working class despite being a wealthy lawyer, because she was raised in a working class family. You can give a beggar on the street $5 million and that won't make him upper class, he wouldn't act upper class or fit in with upper class people.
I see, so we can use the same logic to justify Altaf Hussain's middle class stature too, right?
Why do you think the Supreme Court took this case for a hearing then?
Pakistan's Supreme court has a nasty habit of political activism, more so than supreme courts in other countries.
At any rate, your additional questions to bob_chasm are negated by the PP article I posted, which demosntrated that at the very start of his rule he already owned more than enough assets to purchase this property in 2003.
Which then leaves the incorrect zoning issue. Let's start by hearing your case that he should not have been able to buy this property for housing.
I see, so we can use the same logic to justify Altaf Hussain's middle class stature too, right?
Can he act upper class? Or he is someone from a lower class pretending to be upper class?