Qatar not involved in Panamagate controversy, says envoy

Qatari ambassador Saqr bin Mubarak says the issue is internal matter of Pakistan

The Qatari ambassador to Pakistan has said that his government has nothing to do with Panama Paper leaks issue involving the Sharif's family.

“Let me say to you, it is very clear … my government is not involved in this internal issue,” Saqr bin Mubarak al Mansouri said while talking to a private TV channel.

The arch-rival of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan took to Twitter, saying Qatar distanced itself from the "fake letter".

Qatari govt distances itself from fake Qatari letter from NS's business partner - share in Port Qasim etc pic.twitter.com/4xTD2Rdwqz

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 4, 2017

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz claimed in November last year that their London apartment was bought through Qatari investments.



Along with a 397-page document consisting details of transactions as well as receipts of payments since 2011, the Sharif family submitted the letter from a Qatari prince claiming the flats were purchased through the settlement of accounts between his family’s company and the Sharif family.

PM Nawaz’s children’s counsel Akram Sheikh submitted a letter from Qatari Prince Shaikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani to the Supreme Court’s larger bench hearing the Panamagate case.



The letter addressing the apex court states that in 1980, Mian Muhammad Sharif (Nawaz Sharif’s father) invested 12 million Dirhams in the Al Thani company belonging to the Qatari prince’s father.

“In the year 2006, the accounts in relation to the above investment were settled between Hussain Nawaz Sharif and Al Thani family, who then delivered the bearer shares of the companies referred in para 4 above to a representative of Hussain Nawaz Sharif,” the letter read.

Moreover, Imran lash out at the prime minister, alleging that the letter he had presented in the court was "fake".

Clearly Qatari govt embarrassed by this fake letter written by acknowledged business partner of Sharifs, who is also named in Panama Papers https://t.co/k0CCftxVLM

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 4, 2017

He claimed that the letter was originally written by a business partner of Sharifs that has embarrassed the Qatari government.

“Qatari govt embarrassed by this fake letter written by acknowledged business partner of Sharifs, who is also named in Panama Papers,” he tweeted.

Further, the PTI leader also went on to say that in return of this favour, the businessman who wrote the letter got a deal worth Rs200 billion.

This letter from Sharif's business partner got him, amongst other largesse, a Rs 200 bn Port Qasim deal. Corruption breeding corruption. https://t.co/k0CCftxVLM

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 4, 2017