LONDON – BBC quashed rumors regarding inquiries against the reporter who disclosed the ownership of Sharif family’s London flats.
British Broadcasting Corporation confirmed in a series of tweets that no inquiry had been launched against Ather Kazmi who earlier filed a story that Sharif family purchased London flats in 1990s.
https://twitter.com/BBCUrdu/status/822088118748803072
https://twitter.com/BBCUrdu/status/822130728825716739
It is relevant to mention that government run news agency APP filed a story suggesting that BBC launched inquiry against its reporter for filing misleading story.
Following the publication of story on APP’s website, PML-N members and legislators shared the news, before the BBC quashed the news that very same day.
https://twitter.com/hinaparvezbutt/status/821994020595531777
On Friday, BBC in its story claimed that the ruling Sharif family purchased London flats in the 1990s.
According to official documents available with BBC Urdu, the four flats were purchased in the name of Nielsen and Nescoll companies.
The report while quoting the official record of business deals of offshore companies revealed that when Hassan Nawaz set up Flagship Investment Ltd in 2001, the address he provided at the time of registration of the company was that of his Park Lane apartment.
The report allegedly denied the claims of Sharif family of having purchased the controversial apartments in 2006.
According to the report, flat No. 17 was purchased on June 1, 1993 by Nescoll whereas flat No. 16 and 16 A were purchased on July 31, 1995 by the second offshore firm Nielsen.
Fourth flat bearing No. 17 A was purchased on July 30, 1996 by Nescoll.
Furthermore, documents with the BBC also revealed that Flagship Investment Ltd, a British company, owns another flat titled ’12-A’ located in the same block of the Mayfair apartments and it was bought at Avenfield House on January 29, 2004 the director of which is Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s son Hassan Nawaz.
