While interacting with the media in Narowal on Sunday, Iqbal stressed that the Pandora Papers leak has “opened a new Pandora’s box” when it comes to ‘Imran Niazi’…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan “has two offshore firms”, reported local media citing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal.
While interacting with the media in Narowal on Sunday, Iqbal stressed that the Pandora Papers leak has “opened a new Pandora’s box” when it comes to ‘Imran Niazi’, reported Daily Times.
“That leader who used to present himself as sadiq (honest) and ameen (trustworthy), has two more offshore companies,” Daily Times quoted Iqbal as saying.
Iqbal added that even before the data was released, the government spokespersons had “begun defending him”.
Emphasising that Imran Khan is misleading people by saying that the inflation in Pakistan persists because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Iqbal said: “Inflation persists due to the government’s poor economic policies”, reported Daily Times.
Demanding the government to make public details from the Toshakhana pertaining to the gifts received from foreign dignitaries, Iqbal stressed that “this corrupt, incompetent, unworthy government has no right to remain in power”.
“There is something not just fishy, but super fishy going on.”
Referring to Imran Khan, Iqbal said that he put on a “cloak of honesty” and “fooled the people, all the while eroding Pakistan’s respect and pride”, according to Daily Times.
Meanwhile, PML-N has also demanded the resignation of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan over the Pandora Papers.
“After Imran Khan’s name surfaced in Pandora leaks, there is no moral justification for him to retain the post of the premier,” Iqbal said.
Iqbal said that Khan’s Pandora box is about to open. He also said that Khan who bragged about being a champion of the anti-corruption campaign was himself hiding facts on his foreign gifts, by hiding details about the received gifts, The Nation reported.
He also blamed Khan for the rising inflation in Pakistan, which was the result of his government’s bad policies.
“Today a person who earns Pakistani Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 a month cannot bear the expenses of his household honourably,” he added.
The Pandora Papers has revealed names of 700 Pakistani individuals and members of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s cabinet, inner circle, including cabinet ministers, their families and major financial backers.
Among those whose holdings have been exposed are Khan’s finance minister, Shaukat Fayaz Ahmed Tarin, and his family, and the son of Khan’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 US, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
According to the ICIJ, Pakistan’s elites use offshore services that rival the findings of the Panama Papers, which led to Sharif’s downfall and helped propel Imran Khan to power three years ago.
The revelations are part of the Pandora Papers, a new global investigation into the shadowy offshore financial system that allows multinational corporations, the rich, famous and powerful to avoid taxes and otherwise shield their wealth. The probe is based on more than 11.9 million confidential files from 14 offshore services firms leaked to the ICIJ and shared with 150 news organisations around the world. (ANI)