A considerable number of well-known Pakistanis who own high-end qualities in Dubai have been exposed by the Dubai Property Leaks. The leaked information, part of the OCCRP’s Dubai Unlocked job, reveals information of individuals from various sectors like politics, government, banks, and government. The hole, which has sent shockwaves through Pakistan, involves over 23, 000 qualities listed as belonging to Pakistani immigrants, as detailed in the” Dubai Unlocked” research conducted by international media sources.
The investigation, conducted by the Centre for Advanced Defence Studies ( C4ADS ) and shared with global media outlets, sheds light on hundreds of thousands of properties in Dubai, focusing on ownership details.
Among the significant Pakistanis listed in the Property Leaks are President Asif Ali Zardari’s kids, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s family, Sharjeel Memon, Senator Faisal Vawda, and various politicians from Sindh and Balochistan meetings. The list also includes soon Gen Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, retired generals, a police captain, an embassy, and a professor, all of whom have owned components directly or through their spouses and children.
Additionally, the leaks identify discrepancies in house claims, such as Mohsin Naqvi’s spouse owning a villa in Dubai that were not disclosed in his Senate nomination papers. The research also reveals the participation of people like the Altaf Khanani system, sanctioned for money fraud, and Hamid Mukhtar Shah, a doctors involved in criminal pursuits, as home owners in Dubai.
The data reveals properties ranging from theater apartments to luxurious six- bedroom villas owned by Pakistan’s wealthy, including political, military, and enterprise figures, across prime locations like Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills, and Palm Jumeirah.
More than 23, 000 properties listed as belonging to Pakistanis as of the spring of 2022 are revealed in the leaked data, which provides insights into the offshore real estate wealth of Pakistanis. The data, which C4ADS obtained and shared with media outlets around the world, does not inherently suggest financial crimes but provides a detailed look at Pakistani investments in Dubai properties during a particular time.
This revelation, according to the Pakistani Federal Board of Revenue ( FBR ), is a crucial step in the fight against tax evasion. According to Malik Amjed Zubair Tiwana, chairman of the FBR,” If we have the information you are talking about, as well as the information on residence status, we will make sure those who are eligible to pay tax on rental income or capital value are doing so,” he told Dawn. Despite efforts to regulate and recover undeclared assets, Dubai’s responses have been constrained by a lack of geopolitical leverage and political sway.
The investigation highlights the difficulties that Pakistan faces in bringing illicit goods into the tax system, with Dubai’s authorities reluctant to release information about Pakistani citizens who own illicit goods in the emirate. The leaked data, a result of multiple leaks and extensive verification by journalists, reveals a complex web of property ownership involving Pakistan’s political, media, military, and business elite.
