Indians begin to return home as Gulf dreams crash downturn on Asian remittances

New Delhi - Amid new layoffs each passing day, the evenings at Dubai's Jebel Ali labour camps, home to thousands of South Asian workers, are fraught with economic uncertainty and gloom.

Half a dozen migrants gathered recently at a flat to comfort Indian construction worker Sunam Mallaiah, who had just lost his job. Unsure of their own livelihoods, the men were unable to offer words of hope.

Mallaiah went into debt and sold his land in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh to raise 150,000 rupees (3,090 dollars) for a recruitment agent to get him work in Dubai, one of the seven states of the United Arab Emirates.

Merely weeks into his 1,600 dirhams-a-month (436-dollars-a-month) job, the 30-year-old's dreams of a better life for his wife and child back home have faded away.

With the building boom going bust after the global economic downturn hit the region, older workers like Bangladeshi Shahjehan Alam are worried about their friend.

'He is mostly quiet, troubled about how to return home with debt and an empty pocket,' Alam said in a telephone interview. 'We fear he might commit suicide.'

India's Overseas Affairs Ministry insists the situation is not alarming, but reports of job losses and wage cuts have been pouring in from the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which have been hit by a combination of a slump in oil prices and a downturn in the construction, real estate and tourism sectors because of the global slowdown.

There are 1.8 million Indians in the United Arab Emirates and 400,000 in Bahrain, accounting for about half the 5 million Indian workers and managers in the Gulf region. Indians have been affected to a lesser extent in other Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Although there are no exact figures, the Indian consulate in Dubai has said construction firms there had bulk-booked planes next month to fly 20,000 to 30,000 workers back home on long leave or to redeploy them on projects in other Gulf nations like Qatar.

According to unofficial estimates, Andhra Pradesh has seen thousands returning to their homes in the northern Telangana region over the past few months while Kerala, another southern state that sends huge numbers of workers abroad, is reporting 150 returns a week.

White-collar Indian professionals and technicians are facing the axe too. The spate of job losses is mostly in the financial and banking sectors and hotels. Those in sales and marketing are also regarded as dispensable.

'Four of my friends from the finance sector and hotels were fired overnight from their jobs though they were very good professionals,' an Indian executive with Emirates International Telecom said. 'With several firms going in for cost-cutting, people are being hired at lower wages. Others are forced to return as their salaries do not support their stay anymore.'

'Till 2008, the Gulf was witnessing realty and construction booms and attracted workers in droves,' KV Shamsuddin, who heads an Indian welfare organization in Dubai, said by telephone. 'But now, 260 billion dollars worth of real estate projects are reported to have been delayed or shelved in the UAE.'

According to workers, property giants like Nakheel, Damac, Emaar Properties PJSC and al-Shafar have laid off thousands of workers over the past few months.

'Some companies have sent them back on leave without pay while a few even use the lottery system for terminating services,' Alam said.

Concerned that a wave of redundancies could translate into a crisis, the Indian government is keeping a close watch.

But although the situation is dire for the overseas workers, the lack of jobs in the Gulf is not expected to have a major effect on the Indian economy overall, Overseas Affairs Ministry spokesman Akshay Rout said.

Indians, comprising 38 per cent of the 13 million expatriates in six Gulf countries, contribute more than one-fifth of India's total overseas remittances, which constitute 3 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

Migration to the Gulf region, which employs the largest number of Indians outside the country, has helped countless thousands of Indian families avoid poverty in the past decade. Remittances have driven construction, tourism and education in states like Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

'Layoffs, especially in the construction sector, are likely to have serious economic repercussions for households in India as many depend on remittances,' said Avijit Nanda, president of TimesofMoney, a leading Indian online payment-service provider.

'Since January, there have been appeals by the diaspora for financial help and starting rehabilitation and re-employment schemes,' an Overseas Affairs Ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.

'Although I will officially tell you there is not much to worry about, we are anxious as this is going to turn worse in the coming days.'

From: monstersandcritics.com

Roots Land Real Estate in the International Property Show 2009

The current economic climate is currently in turmoil which in turn also creates opportunities for cash rich investors fishing for distressed real estate deals. The steep drop in prices attracts investors and end user alike to buy properties for two reasons: low prices and flexible payment plans. For these reasons we at Roots Land believe that participating in the IPS 2009 is the right choice.

We belief that the economic condition in the UAE is still strong and the market will heal quicker than expected, comparing with mature markets such as in Europe and the US. The return on investments (ROI) is still higher in the UAE during these difficult conditions relative to that of the mature markets. We in Roots Land have compiled the finest of real estate deals in the market in order to offer a wide choice to our clients.

Our proud association with Omniyat and ETA Star is an excellent opportunity to bring investors and end users a fine selection of the projects close to completion and those to be handed over in less than 3 months. This includes projects in Dubai from JLT and Dubai Marina to Bahrain, & Panama. Riffa Views will be the first Golf Residential Project in Bahrain compromising of a wide range of villas overlooking water lagoons and the Golf Course. We are extremely proud to present our 1st issue of Roots Land Listing Booklet that we be distributed complementary to all the IPS 09 Visitors. This booklet will contain over 500 properties with opportunities for high return on investment.

In association with OMS Publishing, Roots Land will also be distributing the best seller A-Z Property Guide of Dubai from the stand. Under our current association with A-Z Property Guide in Dubai & Abu Dhabi, Roots Land would like to use this opportunity to invite you to visit our website for viewing the Property Guide online and read daily real estate and economic news in addition to mass number of property listings as well as the opportunity for people to list their properties. Roots Land Real Estate will be located in stand no. C6 Hall 2 and at be present at the International Property Show 2009 from the 15th - 17th February.

From: aim168realestate.com

Price War Rages amongst Dubai Hoteliers

Dubai’s hotel industry has entered a price war with room rates being slashed by as much as half as hoteliers attempt to attract tourists hit by the financial crisis.

The damaging effect of Europe’s recession, Dubai’s largest tourist source market, has caused visitor levels to plummet, with occupancy rates down 25 percent on those enjoyed at the same time last year.

“We are entering a price war as most hotels in Dubai are cutting their rates,” said Amine Moukarzel, the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of the Dutch-Swiss Golden Tulip group.

“The situation is very dire indeed and I believe that all hotels in Dubai are experiencing much lower rates than last year because people right now are really starting to cut down on travel budgets,” Mr Moukarzel said.

According to Habib Khan, CEO Planet Group, many hotels in Dubai have seen occupancy rates fall to between 60 per cent and 70 per cent from the 80 per cent and 90 per cent levels in the same period last year.

Hilton hotels have slashed their prices by up to 50 per cent on weekend breaks for bookings made before the end of August this year.

The enticing offer is valid in 220 hotels – Hilton, Conrad Hotels and Resorts, The Waldorf-Astoria Collection, Doubletree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn – across 45 countries including the Middle East, the company said.

Hilton Dubai Creek, known for its Gordon Ramsay Verre restaurant, is offering rooms at the affordable starting rate of Dh530 (US$144) compared with Dh1,944 last year, while Hilton Al Ain is promoting rates from Dh435, down from Dh870.

Weekend rates at the Hilton in Ras al Khaimah have also dropped to Dh460 from the Dh920 being charged at this time last year.

The recently opened Atlantis in Dubai has addressed falling occupancy rates by enforcing a minimum 7-night stay policy during the holiday period.

The DTCM announced a plan last week which will pave the way for Dubai to double the number of tourists it receives to 15 million annually by 2015.

“The DTCM will launch a new marketing campaign aimed at increasing the number of tourists and visitors during the Dubai Shopping Festival [which starts on Jan 10] till mid-February,” said a DTCM spokesman.

The plan includes more attractive discounts on room rates, ranging from 40 per cent to 60 per cent, in addition to a 25 per cent discount on the prices of food and beverages.

Khalid Ahmed bin Sulayem, the director general of DTCM, said the campaign was part of an effort to sustain tourist attractions throughout the year.

The campaign will use the internet, press and industry promotions to cover the UK, Germany, GCC states, India, China, Japan and Australia.

“It is no surprise hoteliers are expecting a tough year ahead but I think that we can overcome these challenges by offering attractive discounts and deals,” said Eyad Abdul Rahman, the executive director of media relations and acting director of business development at the DTCM.

“We have no plans to revise our tourism targets, so to put it simply we will achieve the goals that we have set out.”

From: etravelblackboardasia.com

UAE faces recession

Banking giant Standard Chartered said today that the UAE economy could contract by as much as 1% in the first half of this year.

The bank is forecasting a growth rate of 0.5% for the whole year but says that in the first six months the growth rate figure will reverse by between 0.5 and 1%.

The company’s regional head of research said much would depend on the UAE’s ability to meet problems such as construction slowing down, access to credit dropping and consumption and exports down.

Marios Maratheftis added: “With the right policy response – sorting out monetary policy and increasing fiscal spending – it should allow us to see the recovery in the second half.”

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the UAE’s central bank said he expected to see more Dubai-based developers and construction companies go cap in hand to the state for bailouts.

Omar bin Sulaiman said: “You have already seen some help and I am sure you will see some more.”

The UAE finance ministry and central bank have launched £22bn of funding facilities to help banks cope with the crisis.

From: building.co.uk

Hindu terrorists not in love with Valentine's Day vent their ire on courting couples

VALENTINE’S DAY across India was marked by unrest unleashed by Hindu extremists who attacked young couples and humiliated them publicly as they deemed the festival western and decadent.

A brother and sister mistaken for a dating couple were beaten up by a mob in central Madhya Pradesh state. And six people were arrested in the northern city of Agra, home to the Taj Mahal – the monument to love built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his beloved wife – for shaving the heads of overtly romantic youngsters in a nearby park.

But the most shocking incident took place in the small town of Jind in Haryana state, some 200km north of New Delhi, in which two junior police officers were suspended for dragging a young unmarried couple out of a house and thrashing them in the middle of a busy street in full view of passersby.

The state government has ordered an inquiry into the incident which appalled most people.

Haryana is a highly conservative state where women traditionally have few rights and where female infanticide is rampant. The suspended policemen, who were no doubt encouraged by Hindu hardliners from parties like the extremist Shiv Sena, embarked on a moral re-armament drive by blackening the faces of couples caught dating publicly.

Similar hardline activists, who claim exchanging endearing gifts and kisses on Valentine’s Day is a western practice that corrupted traditional Indian values, forced one couple to exchange vows in the southern city of Hyderabad in a mock wedding ceremony simply because they were dating.

In another equally sordid episode, a young man was married off to a donkey simply because he was with his girlfriend.

“Our culture is the greatest and we can’t allow youngsters to ape the West and indulge in indecent acts like dating,” said Satish Mann, a member of the Bajrang Dal, one of the major Hindu groups behind the threats and protests.

Extra police patrolled shopping malls, restaurants and cinemas across major Indian cities on Saturday to protect couples from such Hindu extremists who had threatened to forcibly marry young people found together.

Hundreds of potential troublemakers were also taken into preventive custody to prevent trouble, but some fringe groups managed to unleash their fury on hapless lovers.

They also vandalised shops selling Valentine cards and flowers, forcing many to shut down.

The trouble surrounding Valentine’s Day erupted last month after Hindu vigilantes calling themselves Sri Ram Sena, or Lord Rama’s Army, dragged young women out of a trendy bar in the southern city of Mangalore and beat them up.

This provoked a major public debate on values in India’s rapidly changing society and major economic power that invites overseas investment.

But a group calling themselves the “Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women” responded robustly to the extremists’ campaign by sending them boxes containing pink knickers as a Valentine’s Day gift.

From: irishtimes.com

Hindu extremists in Valentines Day attack on lovers

VALENTINE'S Day in India has been marred by a series of attacks on young couples as Hindu radicals battle what they claim are foreign influences corrupting Indian culture.

Six men from the Hindu group Shiv Sena were arrested in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, after they cut the hair of overtly romantic couples in a city park.

In Pune, western India, two couples were stopped by Shiv Sena activists and forced to "marry" on the spot by exchanging flower garlands. Five other members were arrested in Delhi for threatening couples.

In the central city of Ujjain, a mob of Hindu fanatics beat a brother and sister they mistook for a couple displaying affection. Activists also blackened the faces of couples they said were behaving inappropriately in Aurangabad and Bijnaur.

Valentine's Day has recently become very popular in India but many, not just Hindus, consider public shows of affection taboo.

A policeman in the northern state of Haryana was filmed attacking a female college student he said was "involved in immoral activities". The graphic video showed the officer, Molla Ram, spinning the woman around by the hair. He was later suspended.

The violence coincides with a "culture wars" debate over the influence of foreign culture.

Last month, a Hindu nationalist group, Sri Ram Sena (Lord Ram's Army), brutally attacked a group of women drinking and dancing with men in a pub in the southern city of Mangalore.

It exposed deep social divisions over traditional values and behavioural standards.

The Minister for Women and Children, Renuka Chowdhury, accused the Mangalore attackers of wanting the "Talibanisation" of India.

A group calling itself a "Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women" has urged supporters to send a pair of "pink chaddis" - slang for underpants - to Sri Ram Sena in protest over the pub attack. Some 32,000 people have joined the campaign.

Despite the controversy, couples flocked to restaurants and cafes in Delhi's Connaught Place for a Valentine's Day dinner. Some had special menus prepared for the evening with offerings like "Couples Coffee".

From: brisbanetimes.com

Doubts over "Pakistan militants" foiled by India

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Doubts have been raised about police reports of a foiled attack on India's capital blamed on Pakistani militants, with newspapers wondering if the whole episode might have been staged.

The controversy is an unwelcome distraction from India's efforts to bring to book the Pakistanis it blames for November's attack on Mumbai.

Police on Sunday said they killed two militants after a car chase in Noida city on the outskirts of New Delhi on the eve of Republic Day. AK-47 rifles, grenades and a Pakistani passport were recovered, according to officials.

But the story sounded to some newspapers too good to be true. The militants not only conveniently carried Pakistani identification, they also asked for directions outside Delhi with an AK-47 poking out of a bag, and then confessed before dying.

The incident came amid heightened tension with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks late last year. A brutal attack on the capital could have the potential to push the two nuclear-armed neighbours closer to the brink.

"(The doubts) hurt India's credibility more now than ever before, especially as India is now under international focus and trying to tell the world to act against terrorism after attacks on Mumbai," retired Major-General Ashok Mehta told Reuters.

Indians even have a phrase for these kind of suspicions -- "fake encounters" -- when police are accused of killing suspected criminals in cold blood and passing the incidents off as gunbattles to reap either fame or cash rewards.

"Doubts have always persisted about fake encounters and killings in India, but everything looks suspicious in this case," Mehta, a security analyst, said.
urprisingly, India's foreign ministry and home ministry have both been silent on the case.

The doubts highlight a problem for India -- that many people doubt the credibility of police accounts just as the Indian government is trying to show the world that Pakistan is behind militant attacks on its soil.

While similar incidents have been reported on the eve of many Republic Days, they did not have the same impact pre-Mumbai.

Now the stakes are higher, given the potential of incidents like these, real or fake, to raise diplomatic tension.

"FAKE ENCOUNTERS?"

One newspaper expressed doubts about the timing of Sunday's incident.

"We would have been a wee bit surprised had the police not produced some 'terrorists' - slain or alive -- in the run-up to the Republic Day," the Mail Today said.

"For the past many years encounters and arrests have been regular as the official ceremony on these occasions."

The Times of India raised several suspicions, from conflicting police versions to the fact two previous encounters had taken place in the same isolated spot in less than 10 months.

The militants not only advertised their intentions with a gun-laden bag, they also asked for directions from a tea-seller -- who just happened to be a police informer, the paper said.

Uttar Pradesh police said they were still investigating.

"People are free to interpret and react to the situation in their own ways," senior Uttar Pradesh police officer Rajiv Krishna said, when asked about reports of a fake encounter.

Indian security experts say there is no doubt that Indian police are dealing every week with militant cells.

There have been a string of bomb attacks on cities in the past two years, killing hundreds of people, including the most infamous -- when gunmen killed 179 in coordinated raids on India's financial hub.

The Indian government and many experts say there is ample evidence that Pakistan is communicating with many of these cells. Western allies such as the United States are convinced of the evidence that Pakistani militants were involved in Mumbai.

But while the threat is real, doubts about the police will not go away.

"The problem is credibility of the police and the fact that nobody believes the police these days," Julio Ribeiro, former Mumbai police commissioner, told Reuters.

India's human rights commission is investigating a previous gunbattle in New Delhi last year against two suspected Islamist militants after media alleged it could have been faked.

In Sunday's incident, the police came from one of India's most lawless and corrupt states, Uttar Pradesh.

"These encounters are very murky," said Ajai Sahni, executive director at the Institute for Conflict Management.

"The fact that it happened in UP raises more doubts, but that doesn't mean it was a fake encounter."

By: Alistair Scrutton
From: in.reuters.com

Farah hameed dogar case Black Chapter of Pakistani Judiciary

Monday, January 19, 2009

By Ansar Abbasi [The News]

ISLAMABAD: The two samples of Miss Farah Hameed Dogar’s answer sheets reveal another aspect of scandalous jacking up of her marks.

The answer sheets were made part of the Islamabad High Court’s recent judgment to prove “irregularities” that were cited as the reason for the re-assessment of her papers. In one case pertaining to the paper of Physics II, despite her answer being incorrect, Miss Farah was given two marks while that part carried only one mark. In case of Urdu paper, despite making four mistakes in a two-line answer, she was given two marks out of three.

After this correspondent secured the question papers of Physics II and Urdu for the Federal Board HSSC-II Examinations 2008 and compared the same with the two samples, as reproduced in the IHC judgment, it is also revealed that the judgment pointed out a wrong answer for the Physics II answer reproduced in the verdict.

On page 13, the judgment said: “On visual examination of Physics-II paper, answer to question No 5(b) is given below: - “No, the plates of capacitor is not of different sizes; however to decrease the electrostatic factor a dielectric medium is putted in between them.”

Then the judge wrote: “The examiner crossed the question and awarded zero mark. Later on, he gave one mark. On re-evaluation (re-assessment), another mark was added.” It means that in this particular question of the paper, the candidate got two marks.

The question paper, however, shows that the above answer pertains to XIV (b) of Q.2, which reads as: “A capacitor is connected across a battery: (b) Is this true even if the plates are of different sizes?” It carries total one mark as part XIV, having three sub-parts — a, b and c — had total three marks. Against the answer reproduced above, the candidate, when reassessed, got two marks against the part that carried only one mark. It means even if Miss Farah’s answer was 100 per cent correct, she would not have got more than one mark, but she got two.

Q.5(b) as referred by the IHC is irrelevant to the answer reproduced and reads as: “What is meant by half life of a radioactive element? How can it be determined from the decay constant of radioactive element?” And if the answer reproduced is considered as answer to Q.5(b), it is straightaway incorrect.

The Chairman Department of Physics, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Dr Hoodbhoy, when contacted, said that in the Physics II sample in which Miss Farah was given two marks after the controversial reassessment, she actually deserved zero.

“I have seen the question sent to me which reads: “A capacitor is connected across a battery,” as well as the answer given by the examinee, said to be Ms Farah Dogar. The answer is incorrect and deserves zero mark,” Dr Hoodbhoy conveyed to The News in his written answer sent through an e-mail.

In Urdu paper, according to the judgment, one mark was awarded in answer to a question, reproduced in the judgment, while after re-assessment, the candidate was given an additional mark. The question paper of Urdu, as obtained by The News, shows that the question — 2(i) — that asked Babar’s toughness carries total three marks, out of which Miss Farah got two marks despite making two spelling mistakes and two mistakes of idioms. In a language paper, spelling and grammatical mistakes are taken seriously, but in Miss Farah’s case, after one mark, she was given two marks.

In both the sample answers, reproduced in the judgment, the judge pointed out in both the cases that the examiner initially gave zero mark, but reviewed his own assessment later and gave one mark to each question. Through re-assessment, marks in both the questions were jacked up to two marks each.

After reproducing the two samples and the details of numbers originally given and revised, the judge said: “I do find some of the irregularities in other papers too. In such a situation, when the chairman examined the answer books of the papers in dispute, he made a decision, rightly so to direct re-assessment.”

Overlooking the scandalous flaws discussed above, the judge ruled: “There is nothing wrong in the marks increased in re-evaluation by the experts in the field and no exception can be taken by this court to the procedure adopted by (the) chairman and the re-evaluation made by examiners.”

Asif Ali Zardari don't be Farig Leghari

"Asif Ali Zardari don't be Farig Leghari" an article by Hamid Mir in the daily Jang.

Properties of Asif Ali Zardari

THE LOCAL ASSETS ARE: Plot no. 121, Phase VIII, DHA Karachi. Agricultural land situated in Deh Dali Wadi, Taluka, Tando Allah Yar. Agricultural property located in Deh Tahooki Taluka, District Hyderabad measuring 65.15 acres. Agricultural land falling in Deh 76-Nusrat, Taluka, District Nawabshah measuring 827.14 acres Agricultural land situated in Deh 76-Nusrat, Taluka, District Nawabshah measuring 293.18 acres Residential plot No 3 (Now House) Block No B-I, City Survey No 2268 Ward-A Nawabshah Huma Heights (Asif Apartments) 133, Depot Lines, Commissariat Road, Karachi Trade Tower Building 3/CL/V Abdullah Haroon Road, Karachi House No 8, St 19, F-8/2, Islamabad Agricultural land in Deh 42 Dad Taluka/ District Nawabshah Agricultural land in Deh 51 Dad Taluka Distt Nawabshah Plot No 3 & 4 Sikni (residential) Near Housing Society Ltd. Nawabshah CafT Sheraz (C.S No.. 2231/2 & 2231/3) Nawabshah Agricultural land in Deh 23-Deh Taluka & District Nawabshah Agricultural property in Deh 72-A, Nusrat Taluka, Nawabshah Agricultural land in Deh 76-Nusrat Taluka, Nawabshah Plot No. A/136 Survey No 2346 Ward A Government Employee's Cooperative Housing Society Ltd, Nawabshah Agricultural land in Deh Jaryoon Taluka Tando Allah Yar, Distt. Hyderabad Agricultural land in Deh Aroro Taluka Tando Allah Yar , Distt. Hyderabad Agricultural land in Deh Nondani Taluka Tando Allah Yar , Distt. Hyderabad Agricultural land in Deh Lotko Taluka Tando Allah Yar , Distt. Hyderabad Agricultural land in Deh Jhol Taluka Tando Allah Yar, Distt. Hyderabad Agricultural land in Deh Kandari Taluka Tando Allah Yar, Distt. Hyderabad Agricultural land in Deh Deghi Taluka Tando Mohammad Khan Agricultural land in Deh Rahooki Taluka, Hyderabad Property in Deh Charo Taluka, Badin Agricultural property in Deh Dali Wadi Taluka, Hyderabad Five acres prime land allotted by DG KDA in 1995/96 4,000 kanals on Simli Dam 80 acres of land at Hawkes Bay 13 acres of land at Maj Gulradi (KPT Land) One acre plot, GCI, Clifton One acre of land, State Life (International Center, Sadar) FEBCs worth Rs. 4 million SHARES IN SUGAR MILLS INCLUDE: Sakrand Sugar Mills Nawabshah Ansari Sugar Mills Hyderabad Mirza Sugar Mills Badin Pangrio Sugar Mills Thatta Bachani Sugar Mills Sanghar FRONT COMPANIES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES: Bomer Fiannce Inc, British Virgin Islands Mariston Securities Inc, Marleton Business S A, Capricorn Trading S A, Fagarita Consulting INc, Marvil Associated Inc, Pawnbury Finance Ltd, Oxton Trading Limited, Brinslen Invest S A, Chimitex Holding S A, Elkins Holding S A, Minister Invest Ltd, Silvernut Investment Inc, Tacolen Investment Ltd, Marlcrdon Invest S A, ' ' ' Dustan Trading Inc, ' ' ' Reconstruction and Development Finance Inc, ' ' ' Nassam Alexander Inc. Westminster Securities Inc. Laptworth Investment Inc 202, Saint Martin Drive, West Jacksonville Intra Foods Inc. 3376, Lomrel Grove, Jacksonville, Florida Dynatel Trading Co, Florida A..S Realty Inc. Palm Beach Gardens Florida Bon Voyage Travel Consultancy Inc, Florida PROPERTIES IN UK ARE: 355 acre Rockwood Estate, Surrey (Now stands admitted) Flat 6, 11 Queensgate Terrace, London SW7 26 Palace Mansions, Hammersmith Road, London W14 27 Pont Street, London, SW1 20 Wilton Crescent, London SW1 23 Lord Chancellor Walk, Coombe Hill, Kingston, Surrey The Mansion, Warren Lane, West Hampstead, London A flat at Queensgate Terrace, London Houses at Hammersmith Road, Wilton Crescent, Kingston and in Hampstead. PROPERTIES IN BELGIUM ARE: 12-3 Boulevard De-Nieuport, 1000, Brussels, (Building containing 4 shops and 2 large apartments) Chausee De-Mons, 1670, Brussels PROPERTIES IN FRANCE ARE: La Manoir De La Reine Blanche and property in Cannes PROPERTIES IN USA -- in the name of Asif Zardari and managed by Shimmy Qureshi are: Stud farm in Texas Wellington Club East, West Palm Beach 12165 West Forest Hills, Florida Escue Farm 13,524 India Mound, West Palm Beach 3,220 Santa Barbara Drive, Wellington Florida 13,254 Polo Club Road, West Palm Beach Florida 3,000 North Ocean Drive, Singer Islands, Florida 525 South Flager Driver, West Palm Beach, Florida Holiday Inn Houston Owned by Asif Ali Zardari, Iqbal Memon and Sadar-ud-Din Hashwani BANK ACCOUNTS IN FOREGN COMPANIES ARE: Union Bank of Switzerland (Account No. 552.343, 257.556.60Q, 433.142.60V, 216.393.60T) Citibank Private Limited (SWZ) (Account No. 342034) Citibank N A Dubai (Account No. 818097) Barclays Bank (Suisse) (Account No. 62290209) Barclays Bank (Suisse) (Account No.. 62274400) Banque Centrade Ormard Burrus S A Banque Pache S A Banque Pictet & Cie Banque La Henin, Paris (Account No. 00101953552) Bank Natinede Paris in Geneva (Account NO.. 563.726.9) Swiss Bank Corporation Chase Manhattan Bank Switzerland American Express Bank Switzerland Societe De Banque Swissee Barclays Bank (Knightsbridge Branch) (Account No. 90991473) Barclays Bank, Kingston and Chelsea Branch, (Sort Code 20-47-34135) National Westminster Bank, Alwych Branch (Account No. 9683230) Habib Bank (Pall Mall Branch). National Westminster Bank, Barking Branch, (Account No. 28558999). Habib Bank AG, Moorgate, London EC2 National Westminster Bank, Edgware Road, London Banque Financiei E Dela Citee, Credit Suisse Habib Bank AG Zurich, Switzerland Pictet Et Cie, Geneva Credit Agricole, Paris Credit Agridolf, Branch 11, Place Brevier, 76440, Forges Les Faux Credit Agricole, Branch Haute – Normandie, 76230, Boise Chillaum