According to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division, SAPM Akbar owned assets worth Rs50m, including multiple properties in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, whereas his spouse owns two houses in Islamabad and one in Spain, which is 'inherited'.
The ownership of the property in Spain by his wife has raised questions about the duplicity of accountability in Pakistan. People on social media asked Akbar for a money trail of the property, comparing his case to that of Justice Isa, who was put on notice by the government over offshore properties owned by his spouse.
Responding to people's demand for a money trail, Akbar claimed that the property was owned by his wife who inherited it from her parents. "The requirement of form was to declare spouse’s assets as well, therefore, declared though she works independently & is a regular tax filer," it added.
Again, a comparison can be made with Justice Isa, who was asked to prove if his wife was not dependent on him and provide a money trail of the properties unearthed by the Assets Recovery Unit. Former law minister Farogh Naseem, who represented the government in the case, even argued that women had no independent status in Islam, so Justice Isa will have to answer for his wife.
Commenting on this, a social media user asked: "You have right to ask assets of a Judge's financially independent wife. Though your wife is financially independent. Judge's wife got assets from Father, but she has to give money trail, but your wife does the same but it's not questionable. It's PTI's INSAAF."