Shaukat Tarin, Moonis Elahi among over 700 Pakistanis named in ICIJ's 'Pandora Papers'
ISLAMABAD, OCT 3: The
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) on Sunday unveiled
“Pandora Papers” — a major international research into the financial secrets
held by high-profile individuals around the world.
From Pakistan, investigative
journalists Umar Cheema and Fakhar Durrani of The News International were part
of the investigation.
Geo News reported that more than
700 Pakistanis have been named in the exposé.
The publication also named Senator Faisal Vawda, Ishaq Dar’s son, PPP’s Sharjeel Memon, the family of Minister for Industries and Production Khusro Bakhtiar, PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan, among others, among those with alleged links to offshore companies.
The ICIJ released a report on the
Pandora Papers titled "Prime Minister Imran Khan promised ‘new Pakistan’
but members of his inner circle secretly moved millions offshore."
According to the report, leaked
documents revealed that "key members" of Prime Minister Imran's inner
circle, including cabinet ministers, their families and major financial backers
"have secretly owned an array of companies and trusts holding millions of
dollars of hidden wealth".
"Military leaders have been implicated as well," it said, clarifying that the documents contained "no suggestion" that Imran himself owned offshore companies.
Among those named as holding
foreign assets are Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, his family, and the son of
Prime Minister Imran's former adviser for finance and revenue, Waqar Masood
Khan.
"The records also reveal the
offshore dealings of a top PTI donor, Arif Naqvi, who is facing fraud charges
in the United States," the ICIJ said.
Allegations against Moonis Elahi
The files show how PML-Q leader
Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, "a key political ally of Imran Khan’s, planned to
put the proceeds from an allegedly corrupt business deal into a secret trust,
concealing them from Pakistan’s tax authorities", according to the consortium.
A family spokesman for the Elahi
family told ICIJ’s media partners that, “due to political victimisation
misleading interpretations and data have been circulated in files for nefarious
reasons.” He maintained that the family’s assets “are declared as per
applicable law”.
The investigation also revealed
that "a luxury London apartment was transferred from the son of a famous
Indian movie director to the wife of a three-star general". This was
"one of several offshore holdings involving military leaders and their
families", the ICIJ said.
The general told ICIJ the
property purchase was disclosed and proper; his wife did not reply.
Over 600 reporters, 117 countries
According to the consortium, the
Pandora Papers is its most expansive exposé of financial secrecy yet, even
larger than its predecessor, the explosive Panama Papers, which had set off
alarm bells across the world.
More than 600 reporters from around the world, belonging to 150 media organisations spanning 117 countries, participated in the research for two years for the Pandora Papers, which contain 11.9 million files.
According to a Geo report,
Pandora Papers are larger than the Panama Papers in terms of data collection
and collaboration, made possible by the largest research team in the history of
journalism in the world.
Earlier today, Information
Minister Fawad Chaudhry said details revealed in the Pandora Papers would
"further strengthen" Prime Minister Imran Khan's stance.
"Panama Papers revealed
offshore assets of very corrupt people. Now another research of ICIJ is coming.
PM Imran stressed upon rich countries that hiding of poor countries' money in
rich countries should be discouraged," he said in a tweet.
When details of money being moved
from poor countries to rich countries are shared through Pandora Papers, like
the Panama Papers previously, it would "further strengthen" PM
Imran's stance, he added.
Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, meanwhile, said:
"Prime Minister Imran Khan has no offshore company."
Addressing a gathering in Faisalabad, Gill stressed that if any other member of the government was found to have hidden offshore assets, they would have to answer for themselves. "Everyone has to go into their own grave," he said.
------------------------------------------------
COURTEESY DAWN NEWS
--------------
