Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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How can people like NS feel pain of an average person?

Pakistan

By Palash Ghosh | June 18 2013 2:29 PM

A Pakistani lawmaker who allegedly wore a very expensive watch during a session of the National Assembly has sparked an outcry over the huge wealth gap in a country reeling with massive poverty.

It’s not clear which member of the Pakistani government was wearing the watch in question, but it was Shazia Marri who brought it to the public’s attention. According to Pakistani media, Marri, an assembly member affiliated with the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) – which just lost a national election to new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan’s Muslim League (PML-N) – criticized the new government for its failure to present a program to alleviate poverty in the national budget, saying the new budget favors the wealthy (particularly industrialists). “What else one can expect from a party whose leaders are fond of wearing such expensive personal items,” Marri said on Monday.

Marri was apparently referring to a watch that she valued at $4.6 million, worn by an unidentified PML-N member. The statement shocked the parliament and prompted Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to ask Marri if she meant 4.6 million U.S. dollars or Pakistani rupees. She confirmed she meant U.S. currency. (Converted into Pakistani currency, the watch would cost a cool 455 million rupees.)

“Then the owner of the watch must have got it adequately insured,” the speaker quipped. But Marri refused to identify who was wearing such a costly accoutrement, even after the speaker asked her.

ZeeNews of India reported that, according to Twitter accounts, it was none other than Nawaz Sharif who was wearing the watch, a Louis Moinet “Meteoris” that does indeed fetch a price of $4.6 million.

According to watchmaker Louis Moinet, the Meteoris watch includes pieces of actual meteorites, as well as pieces of the moon and asteroids.

If Sharif is actually the owner of the Meteoris, he can certainly afford it.

According to Daily Pakistan, Sharif’s family owns assets estimated at a minimum of $1.4 billion – apparently generated by their interests in steelmaking and paper mill businesses as well as land in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the Middle East – making them the fourth-wealthiest clan in the country. Sharif also owns a bewildering array of luxurious properties in Pakistan as well as stakes in companies from Lahore to London.

Sharif, who spent several years in the early 2000s in exile in Saudi Arabia, reportedly enjoys contacts with high-level government and business figures in the kingdom.

Very few people in Pakistan could possibly afford to purchase an indulgence like the Meteoris. Pakistan, one of the poorest nations on earth, has an average annual per capita income of about $1,257. At that rate, the average Pakistani wage-earner would have to work almost 3,700 years to be able to purchase a Meteoris.

However, Meteoris is merely the world’s fifth-most-expensive timekeeper; according to Rediff.com, the absolute priciest watch in the world is the Chopard 201-Carat, which is listed at $25 million.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

I dont mind him wearing a billion dollar watch, so long as its declared and accounted for. Problem with our rich and famous is, they have excellent accountants who have the ability to find loopholes for anything and everything under the sun. The rich and famous are our present and past legislators, who have routinely made laws in order to assist them in stashing money abroad, and avoid paying dues on their local holdings.
Nawaz Sharif is one of the worst, if not the worst, in this regard, in that a better part of the money that he calls his own is stashed away in London, Saudi and elsewhere in offshore accounts under third party names. I pray that wikileaks or some similar organization would one day come out with the complete list of Pakistani politicians who have holdings abroad, including their source.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

well... well... well... someone who is a descendant of three generations of 'successful politicians' in Sindh who have been in the assemblies from British time to dictators to 'democratic times' and have accomplished absolutely NOTHING for poverty alleviation in their own constituency, let alone the province or the country, who has recently lost an election and who is a member of the national assembly because she belongs to a rich and powerful family has the guts to call out others for wearing expensive watches. Good going girl!

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

Great view and great article appreciated....

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

So, does this means 2 wrongs make it right? Btw, taxes are going up on everyone in NS's federal budgets except for people like NS. Coincident? I think not.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

khwab main siri paye khane wale kia jane ke bhook kia hoti hai… :bummer: jali Ammer ul Momineen

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

Not really. What do you expect? Landlords would keep agriculture out of tax loop and businesspeople would keep businesses thriving. I am sure NS can afford much more expensive watches but that’s not the point either. People vote in NS and NS & Co do not want documentation of economy nor increased tax on wealthy. Listen to the speeches by NS before elections. He never promised tax on wealthy, documentation of economy, bringing wealthy people into tax net, improving judiciary etc. He promised reduced load shedding, loans, laptops etc and people voted him in. Now we expect NS to hurt the wealthy? no way.

My point was that while you and I can criticize, because now this is more or less what we can do, this lady and her forefathers have been in power for 100+ years and have done nothing but made money for themselves. Talk of ‘poverty alleviation’ from such people disgusts me. Like the way talk of democracy in Pakistan by a Canadian citizen maulvi disgusted a lot of people.

If that lady has a problem with the federal budge favoring the wealthy, how about taxing big landlords in Sindh budget? Oh, wait, she is one of them. She and her family did this to her own people: Sanghar floods and if this year big landlords again divert flood water to poorer areas, the people would again be pointing fingers at the politicians.

People like this lady have helped people like NS who can now easily afford much more expensive watches and proudly wear them.f

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

Difference between Shazia and Nawaz is that:

Shazia is rich since last many generation and not because he got into power on vote of poor. Her money is mostly from inheritance.

Nawaz became mega rich not because of inheritance or hard work, but by getting into power by hook (vote of retarded poors) or by crook (making Zia his daddy or rigging election) and using that power to steal, loot and plunder the country.

Looking at them, what I can say is that, Shazia inheritance and in power from last several generations did not made her as rich as Nawaz few years of mega corruption and looting.

I feel disgusted at the mental state of people who are average Pakistani and vote or support rich and mega rich corrupts like Nawaz, and expect that they would do any good for them.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

^ I am not comparing who is bigger chor. Obviously NS is. I am just saying that when you have been contributor to a problem (poverty, wealth gap, corruption), you do not have a right to talk about it. It is just bakwas that we have been listening to for decades now.

There is a reason why SS cannot fulfil his promise to drag Zardari on the roads to get the loot back. How do you get a crook to judge another crook?

If she is so concerned about poverty alleviation and plight of the poor in the country, Marri aunty should go to her constituency, look at the poverty there and if she has any shame, resign from all public offices and work for a social improvement organization or maybe convince her daddy and uncles to compensate the little farmer who lost everything cuz of the flood waters diverted towards them. Her public office has not helped anyone so far.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

I have yet to understand the crooked logic and above faulty thinking. If one points out a real problem, target that person who is telling the truth. One of many reasons we pakis have not become one nation and remained as polarized as ever and perhaps will never become one nation for the next 100 years. More over your hatred against one community and love or support for another community is obvious. What is wrong is wrong, have courage and honesty to accept the truth.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

I wonder why she and her friends in government for 5 years did not do anything against an obviously corrupt person? Why she never said a word about same person before he took the oath?

What is wrong is wrong and being an hypocrite in addition to being wrong is a bigger wrong. :P

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

A 4.6 million dollar watch... Does he need it to compensate other things?

I agree with Silaaj's post and I want to add, they can wear any expensive item, as long as they wear it when they are off duty. In their personal time.
When you see these parliamentarians you would think they are going to a fashion show with their designer wear and designer accessories.
To make it even worse, they will flaunt and brag about it.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

You are right that Shazia herself is not an icon of Hatim-Tai. But then, at least she has decency to point out reality of some so-called representatives of Pakistani poor.

Obviously, average Pakistani poor voters could not even see what their masters in parliament wear and price of what they wear, as these poor idiots job is only to make leaches their masters, and then vote them into in power, and then rub their nose on the feet of those they voted, without questioning. Most voters only get opportunity to kiss the picture of their masters, lucky ones see their masters from far, and some feel elevated even smelling pungent smell of their masters.

We should appreciate that if not for people like Shazia, most Pakistanis would not even known what Mega rich corrupt leaders of Pakistan who loot and plunder Pakistan in the name of poor Pakistanis, do with their looted wealth.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

It doesnt matter what Nawaz Sharif wears or not. The people of the country knew about his wealth and still voted for him.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

sab chor hain aur choron ki auladen hi hukoomat karti hain iss mulk main :bummer:

Inside Benazir Bhutto’s looted palace: The home of the late Pakistani leader is for sale at £7.5m | Mail Online

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

^^Who knows which army gen or agency or CJ forced them to buy this greeb khana. Dont be hating.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

sometimes would be shaheeds get jannat in this world :chai:

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

The thread is not about what you are saying. But you keep on your meaningless phrases and rants as usual.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

Yes, it is not about what I am saying. It is about one person from ruling elite calling another person from ruling elite insensitive to the needs of the poor people and the poor people clapping happily about it knowing very well that when the time comes, they would protect each others' kalay kartoot giving a sh*t about poor people.

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Re: Pakistan’s Poverty And The Multi-Million-Dollar Watch

I am sorry but I've also heard plenty of PMLN supporters saying that Sharif is filthy rich because he was born into a rich family or he's rich because he's a successful businessman. Do you also agree with that?