——– Report reveals Pakistanis own property worth $11bn in Dubai
——– Current, ex-govt officials, bankers, bureaucrats named in report
——– OCCRP’s Dubai Unlocked project reveals property ownership of global elite
——– Nawaz family, Zardari family, Vawda, Gogi, Marwat, Naqvi named among many more
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: More than a dozen retired military officials and their families, as well as bankers and bu-reaucrats, own properties in upscale Dubai areas, according to data revealed by the OCCRP’s Dubai Unlocked project.
Among the thousands of Pakistanis who own these properties are around a dozen retired military generals, two retired 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 most prominent among retired military generals is the name of former (and late) military dictator Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf. The former military dictator and his wife’s name appear in the leaked data as the owners of three properties in the areas of Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa and Al Thanyah Fifth.
Musharraf’s former military secretary Lt-Gen Shafaat Ullah Shah is also included in the leaked data, which covers the period 2020-2022. His name had also appeared in the Pandora Papers.
Shafaat’s son appears to be a co-owner of the same property, per the leaked data. Gen Shafaat in his response to the OCCRP confirmed owning the property and said all his foreign properties are declared with the tax authorities in Pakistan. Former DG-C during Gen (r) Musharraf’s era, Maj Gen (r) Ehtasham Zameer, his son and other children are also on the list as owners of properties in the Al Warsan First, Marina Arcade Marsa areas.
Also on the list is the son of Lt-Gen Afzal Muzaffar of the NLC scandal fame, and former DG Counter Intelligence Major Gen Ehtasham Zamir and his children.
IGP Azad Jammu and Kashmir Dr Sohail Habib Tajik is also on the list for owning property in Al Dafrah First Al Thanyah Third.
Dr Tajik Sohail Habib has confirmed owning the property and said that he bought it in 2002 while he was “working in the UN. My salary was $10,000. I transferred the money from UN Bank to Dubai as a legal transaction and declared it in my assets and proudly say that everywhere.”
Former president of the NBP Arif Usmani also features on the list as the owner of a penthouse.
Another Lt-Gen (r) Muhammad Akram owns a property in Elite Residences 4. In addition, Lt-Gen Alam Jan Mehsud and his spouse own a five-bedroom apartment in the Al Hamri Palm Jumeirah area.
The leaked data shows that Maj Gen (r) Ghazanfar Ali Khan also owns a property in S15 Building Al Warsan First. Major Gen (r) Raja Muhammad Arif Nazir also appears in the leaked data for owning a property in Golf Promenade 2-A, Al Hebiah third area.
Meanwhile, Air Vice Marshal (r) Saleem Tariq also appears to own property as does Air Vice Marshal (r) Khalid Masood Rajput.
Also included in the list are Major Gen (r) Muhammad Farooq, Major Gen (r) Anis Bajwa’s spouse, and Maj Gen (r) Najam-ul-Hassan Shah.
Former chairman of OGDCL Zahid Muzaffar and chairman PCST Syed Anwar-ul Hassan Gillani are also listed as property owners.
Meanwhile, Independent Senator Faisal Vawda said Tuesday that the ‘Dubai Leaks’ was part of a propaganda, claiming that he has objection over the “timing” of the report’s release as Pakistan is about to attract foreign investment.
The project — ‘Dubai Unlocked’ — revealed that Pakistanis, more than a dozen retired military officials and their families, as well as bankers and bureaucrats, own an estimated $11 billion worth of proper-ties in the Gulf emirate.
The politico — an ex-leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — questioned why “not a single name from the former ruling party” was mentioned in the leaks. He claimed that a few “honest per-sonalities” were also included in the list.
He gave his reactions while speaking on a current affairs show of a private news channel. The senator went on to say that a “dossier” was being issued after “removing a specific class” from it.
Vawda further claimed that the makers of the property leaks imposed “illegitimate tag” on all proper-ties, without separating the “legitimate” possessions in Dubai. He refused to justify publically whether those properties under his ownership in Dubai were declared or not.
He said that the timing of the property leaks was questionable as the so-called revelations were made public at a time when Pakistan and its ally state — Dubai — were expecting global investments.
The senator also questioned the release of confidential property records just after the law and order situation got disturbed in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
More than a dozen retired military officials and their families, as well as bankers and bureaucrats, own properties in upscale Dubai areas, according to data revealed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project’s (OCCRP) Dubai Unlocked project.
Among the thousands of Pakistanis who own these properties are around a dozen retired military generals, two retired 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.
