In response to the recent data release detailing foreign property ownership in Dubai, several Pakistani politicians have downplayed the development, asserting that their properties were lawfully declared.
The extensive data, covering hundreds of thousands of properties from 2020 and 2022, was released by the Center for Advanced Defence Studies (C4ADS), a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organisation specialising in research on international crime and conflict. Additionally, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) through its Dubai Unlocked project provided further insights into the ownership details.
Politicians’ Reactions
Notable figures listed in the data include PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, his siblings Bakhtawar and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari; Ms Ashraf, wife of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi; Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon; MNA Ikhtiar Baig; Hussain Nawaz, son of PML-N President Nawaz Sharif; Saad Siddique Bajwa, son of General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa; Senator Faisal Vawda; Sardar Sanaullah Zehri; Akhtar Mengal; and PML-N MNA Ehsanul Haq Bajwa.
The PPP has maintained that there is “nothing new or illegal” in the disclosed information, stating that the assets of its chairman and his siblings were already publicly declared. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s spokesperson, Zulfikar Ali Bader, reiterated that all properties, both domestic and foreign, have been declared with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). He emphasized that this information is available on the ECP’s website.
“There is nothing new or illegal in this story. Apparently, this is neither news nor a scandal as the information is already in the public domain,” Bader stated. He also noted that the properties in question were inherited after the assassination of their mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.
The Spokesman to the Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari @ZulfiBader rubbishes claims about Bhutto family in the so-called Dubai property leaks
Read More: https://t.co/peiW1UfUDW pic.twitter.com/OGtWlUGaAo
— Pakistan Peoples Party – PPP (@PPP_Org) May 14, 2024
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the Dubai property bought in his wife’s name was fully declared in tax returns and reported to the ECP when he served as the caretaker chief minister of Punjab. He added that the property was sold a year ago, with a new property recently purchased using the proceeds.
Fact check:
The Dubai property bought in my wife’s name since 2017 is fully declared and listed in tax returns. It was also declared in returns submitted to the Election Commission as Caretaker CM of Punjab. The property was sold a year ago, and a new property was purchased…
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) May 14, 2024
Sher Afzal Marwat of the PTI acknowledged owning an apartment in Dubai, which he stated has been declared with the relevant regulatory authorities, including the FBR and ECP, for the past six years.
Dubai Property leaks:
I own an apartment in Dubai and the same has been declared with all the regulatory authorities of Pakistan including FBR, the Election Commission of Pakistan etc for the past six years. It can be confirmed both with the FBR as well as ECP.— Sher Afzal Khan Marwat (@sherafzalmarwat) May 14, 2024
Broader Implications
The data also revealed that thousands of Pakistani citizens, including more than a dozen retired military officials and their families, own properties in upscale Dubai areas. This disclosure is significant given Pakistan’s ongoing severe economic crisis.
Among the listed property owners are retired military generals, air vice-marshals of the Pakistan Air Force, a serving inspector general of police (IGP), a retired president of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), a former chairman of the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL), and a serving chairman of the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology.
The data includes prominent military figures such as the late General Pervez Musharraf and his wife, who own three properties in Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa, and Al Thanyah Fifth. Other notable names include Lt-Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah, Maj Gen (r) Ehtasham Zameer, and Lt-Gen Afzal Muzaffar.
Business & Bureaucratic Ownership
Business leaders and bureaucrats also feature in the data. Aslam Masood, Chief Financial Officer of Omni Group, and Sohrab Dinshaw are among the businessmen with properties in Dubai. Arif Usmani, former president of the NBP, is listed as owning a penthouse. IGP Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Sohail Habib Tajik, also appears on the list.
The revelations have prompted various responses from the politicians and other figures involved, with each asserting their compliance with legal requirements and transparency in their asset declarations. The ongoing discussions underscore the significance of transparency and regulatory compliance in property ownership among public figures.
