LAHORE (Staff Report) - It has been over a week now since International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released Panama Papers, and two prime ministers and several top officials have resigned as a result.
In Pakistan, as well, opposition parties are demanding resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the wake of his name mentioned in the massive document leak along with his sons and daughter. The Panama Papers suggested that Sharifs set up at least four offshore companies in British Virgin Islands (BVI), which further owned at least six upmarket properties in London’s Hyde Park.
The ruling party PML-N and Sharif Family has released a series of explanations about the ownership of offshore companies: companies were established by sons of Prime Minister Sharif, Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, and he himself had nothing to do with the properties in London.
However, contrary to Sharifs' current stance, an old interview of Hassan Nawaz shows him saying that he had rented Mayfair property, when asked who owns these flats?
The interview took place in 1999, just weeks after former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had dismissed the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
"Its rented, I am living in the flat and money comes from Pakistan," Hassan said when interviewee Tim Sebastian asked him "do you know who owns the flat?"
At this Sebastian repeated the question saying "you have personally rented it and money comes from Pakistan?" and Hassan Nawaz responded to it in yes.
Hassan Nawaz pictured with his cousin Salman Shahbaz
In the same interview, when Tim Sebastian mentioned the corruption charges leveled against his father and asked Hassan Nawaz to comment on this, he said that he was not a court to decide it. I know that my father is a pious man who has sacrificed his family life to serve Pakistan, he further added.
Ali Zain is a member of the staff at Daily Pakistan Global. He earned BS Communication Studies degree from University of the Punjab. His thesis titled "Cultural Continuity and Mass Media: An analysis of leading online newspapers of Pakistan" has been published as a book in Germany. He has also translated David Mathews' book "The Ecology of Democracy" into Urdu. He tweets at @alimaan.
Currency Rates in Pakistan Today - Pakistani rupee to US Dollar, Euro, Pound, Dirham, and Riyal - 19 April 2024
Pakistani currency saw minor adjustment against global currencies on April 19, 2024. US dollar was being quoted at 277.4 for buying and 280.4 for selling.
Euro comes down to 293 for buying and 296 for selling while British Pound stands at 342.25 for buying, and 345.65 for selling.
UAE Dirham AED was at 75.2 and Saudi Riyal's new rates was at 73.30.
Today’s currency exchange rates in Pakistan - 19 April 2024
