Pakistan

Panama Papers: 259 Pakistanis named in online database

Trove on shell companies released online, accessible at offshoreleaks.icij.org

News Desk May 09, 2016

Documents in the searchable database are accessible to the public at offshoreleaks.icij.org. PHOTO: AFP

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published online Monday detailed data from the Panama Papers trove on more than 200,000 secret offshore companies.

The searchable database built on just a portion of the documents leaked from the Panama law firm Mossack Fonseca reveals more than 360,000 names of individuals and companies behind the anonymous shell firms, the ICIJ said.

The documents in a searchable database are accessible at offshoreleaks.icij.org.

BREAKING: ICIJ releases database revealing thousands of secret offshore companies https://t.co/UFOrGNZU6P #PanamaPapers
— ICIJ (@ICIJorg) May 9, 2016

"The data, part of the Panama Papers investigation, is the largest ever release of information about offshore companies and the people behind them. This includes, when available, the names of the real owners of those opaque structures."

As the scandal gets deeper around the world, in Pakistan, associates of politicians and families of celebrities are expected to invite more attention than businessmen.

Following are a few names of the 259 Pakistanis listed, according to media reports and the online database:

World braces for online release of Panama Papers

Zulfi Bokhari, a close friend of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan

Irfan Puri, an oil czar equally close to Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership and presently in Dubai jail

Tariq Islam, cousin of ex-prime minister and former PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto

Naseer Khan, son of former health minister

Family of Seth Abid

Son of Admiral (retd) Muzaffar Hassan

Port Qasim Authority’s former managing director and NRO beneficiary, Abdul Sattar Dero

Shaukat Ahmed, former president of Karachi Chamber of Commerce

Saba Obaid, mother of Oscar award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

A billionaire owner of Sachal Studio Izzat Majeed

Wife of Ghous Akbar

Fashion designer Zehra Valliani along with her brother, an asset manager, Fawaz Valliani

Moonis Elahi, the son of former Punjab chief minister Pervaiz Elahi

The documents are from 2.6 terabytes of data given to a German newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, over a year ago by an anonymous source using the name “John Doe.”

The data came from nearly four decades of digital archives of one Panamanian law firm specialized in creating and running offshore entities, Mossack Fonseca, which says its computer records were hacked from abroad.

The German newspaper gave access to the trove to the ICIJ, and through it to hundreds of journalists in different countries. Reports thus far have focused on scores of high-profile individuals: political leaders, celebrities and a few criminals.

Govt turns to allies amid opposition’s onslaught over Panama leaks inquiry

Here are a few key points from the earlier trove of Panama Papers revelations:

– Three of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's children were named leading opposition to rally for his resignation.

– Iceland’s prime minister was forced to resign when his name was linked to an offshore company.

– British Prime Minister David Cameron ended up admitting he profited from an offshore firm started by his father.

– Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest circle was named in the revelations, prompting Putin to claim the Panama Papers was a US plot against him.

– Argentine President Mauricio Macri was also linked to offshore companies.

– China censored media and online social networks from mentioning links between the families of Chinese leaders with offshore entities.

– Other notable people made uncomfortable by the documents include Argentine football star Lionel Messi, Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan and Spanish movie director Pedro Almodovar.

Mossack Fonseca had issued a “cease and desist” lawyer to the US-based ICIJ, saying putting up the information publicly would violate attorney-client privilege.

Govt to form committee to engage opposition on Panama leaks issue

Since reporting on the Panama Papers started at the beginning of April, the Panama’s government has been struggling to persuade the world that it is not a haven for tax-dodgers and money launderers.

France has already put the Central American nation on its blacklist of tax havens, and other Western countries are considering following suit.

COMMENTS (17)

syed & syed | 7 years ago | Reply @pk007: Nia Pakistan is a wrong slogan. Prosperous Pakistan may a a better substitute

GI Joe | 7 years ago | Reply Also listed is the head of the Al-Shirkatul Islamiyyah charity. Yes, charity! A registered charity in London. Look it up in the Panama Papers, his name is Abdul Baqi Arshad. Why is an "Islamic" charity hiding funds? Dig deeper, media. You guys are not doing a good job.

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Rustam | 7 years ago | Reply @Brainy Bhaijan: I wonder why do have a problem is someone is praised for his cleanliness? Bring in more clean names to dilute the reputation of IK but not grudge the way you are behaving.

Fawad Ali Shah | 7 years ago | Reply How can a person be named for a friend? I have many friends and i do not guarantee all their income sources to be just. I dont know and i never asked them. On the other hand moonis elahi, son of head of pmlnq is named but media does not highlight it.

Imran Qadri | 7 years ago | Reply Isn't zulfi Bukhari same person who was instrumental in getting divorce settled on behalf of Imran Khan from Reham Khan after she moved to London just before divorce. He traveled back and forth between Banigala and London to get divorce papers signed, he also donates large sums regularly to Imran that is why Imran is reluctant to get his party funds scrutinised in a case in court in which a founding PTI member has accused Imran of illegal and shady foreign funding to party and have asked for the names of foreign donors names to be disclosed in public. Imran so far has desist his moves and insists that no one has right to scrutinise his party funding.

Muhammad Khan | 7 years ago | Reply Zulfi Bokhari is a British born citizen he is not Pakistani. So please don't associate him with Pakistan.

Mohammed | 7 years ago | Reply Geo wont tell you but Mir Shakil Rehman is on the list. No wonder they are so desperate to back the Sharifs, it takes a crook to know a crook.

pk007 | 7 years ago | Reply Zulfi Bukhari, Aleem Khan, Jahangir Tareen, Aleema Khan, have offshore companies, whether its in Panama, London, or Dubai. PML-N and PPP maybe damaged, but fact of the matter is PTI is no different either and its claims of Naya Pakistan has proved to be a farce. A lot of things will be exposed once the ball gets rolling.

syed & syed | 7 years ago | Reply Having an off shore company by a business man can be considered but NOT Parliamentarians including PM, CMs,Army and Civil servants including Ambassadors can not be forgiven. and they must be removed from the office with a heavy punishment.. If business class have a declared company and paying taxes and following rules is a usual international business but it will have to be considered what they give to Pakistan.

Junaid | 7 years ago | Reply I think ET's approach is not correct, they have just listed the names of people who have given Pakistan addresses. Prime Minster's family has used addresses in Singapore and Saudi Arabia. Mariam Safdar's or Hassan Nawaz's names don't appear under Pakistan, but if you search their names without selecting a country, then you'll see their companies. There is even an entity called NAWAZ TRUST in Switzerland!

Shahid Akram | 7 years ago | Reply No morality exist in this world. People are collecting money as they will live forever in this world.

IslooLove | 7 years ago | Reply Fashion designer Zehra Valliani ? Opps!

hassan | 7 years ago | Reply GREAT PAKISTANIS !!! Where are the list of remaining population of the PAKISTAN, they also deserve such robbery being labelled as PAKISTANIS...!!!

Brainy Bhaijan | 7 years ago | Reply Yes, but Imran khan and his family and friends get a clean chit because, well he is Imran khan, an angel who is purest of the pure. /sarcasm

Lahori | 7 years ago | Reply Moonis Elahi...see for yourself

jojo | 7 years ago | Reply I was not aware that if your friend has an offshore company then it will be mentioned by your name instead of your friends..Nawaz shareef's name came due to his kids who were teenagers when those companies which they own now were made..so by dragging Imran khan names only because his friend or his uncle's nephew's brother and law has offshore companies would never offset shareef's family's corruption thorough these companies..

Parvez | 7 years ago | Reply These name matter not.....what matters is the name of our sitting Prime Minister's family has appeared......and until he clears him name his moral authority to be Prime Minister is in question.

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