Fact check: Is Junaid Safdar’s name in Pandora Papers?

Claim: PMLN Leader Maryam Nawaz’s son Junaid Safdar’s name came up in the Pandora Papers.

Fact:

Following the revelations in the Pandora Papers, featuring names of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ministers as well as Opposition members, some channels shared the news that Junaid Safdar, who is the son of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz, also has five offshore companies registered in his name.

As per reports, the government-run channel, Pakistan Television Network (PTV), aired the news of Junaid Safdar’s offshore companies.

11:13پرPTVکےپلیٹ فارم پراِس پروگرام میں کہاگیاکہ اطلاعات کیمطابق @MaryamNSharif کےبیٹے جنیدصفدر کی آف شور کمپنیز بھی نکل آئی ہیں۔ اس سے پہلے وفاقی وزیر کی ٹویٹ اطلاعات کے مطابق؛ شہباز گِل کی حتمی ٹویٹ PTV بینر کیساتھ آ چکی تھیں۔ حکومتی لوگوں نے کہا PTV پر یہ بات آن ائیر نہیں ہوئی pic.twitter.com/V1ymEh97eJ

— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) October 3, 2021

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s aide, Dr Shahbaz Gill, shared an image of PTV News with his tweet about Junaid Safdar’s offshore companies.

کیا ایسے ہو سکتا ہے کسی چوری وغیرہ کی تحقیق ہو اور مریم باجی پیچھے رہ جائیں ؟ کبھی بھی نہیں ! pic.twitter.com/DCqRp866Db

— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) October 3, 2021

Shahbaz Gill, while speaking on ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, backed the news stating that PTV broke the news of Maryam Nawaz’s son owning offshore companies. “It is not possible that when it comes to theft or hiding information, we don’t see Maryam Baji’s [Maryam Nawaz’s] name there. Her son’s three to five companies have also been uncovered.”

اے آر وائی، PTV کو quote کر رہا ہے ، @MaryamNSharif کےبیٹےجنیدصفدر کی آف شورکمپنیزکی خبر کے بارے میں۔ SAPM، حکومتی ترجمان شہبازگِل یہاں بھی یہی خبردےرہےہیں11:15پر جو 11:02 پر ٹویٹ بھی کیا اورPTV کی خبر کو درست بھی قرار دے رہے ہیں اعتبار کرنے کا بھی کہہ رہے ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/7ZjK5yDHoV

— Gharidah Farooqi (T.I.) (@GFarooqi) October 3, 2021

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also took to Twitter and tweeted, “The latest information is that there are five offshore companies in the name of Junaid Safdar, son of Maryam Nawaz. How much money does this family need?”

علی ڈار جو نواز شریف کے داماد ہیں کے نام آف شور کمپنی کے بعد اب نئ اطلاعات یہ ہیں کہ مریم نوز کے بیٹے جنید صفدر کے نام پر بھی پانچ آف شور کمپنیاں ہیں ، اس خاندان کو کتنا پیسہ چاہئے؟

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) October 3, 2021

Chaudhry also claimed the same in Nadia Mirza’s programme on Dawn News.

During Transmission Federal Minister for Information @fawadchaudhry confirms that five offshore companies are registered on #JunaidSafdar name and his name listed in #PandoraPapers @nadia_a_mirza @Dawn_News @PTIofficial
@MaryamNSharif pic.twitter.com/nsuVH7a9Uj

— TeamNadiaMirza (@TeamNadiaMirza) October 3, 2021

In response to the news, which was shared by a section of the media quoting state-run PTV, Maryam Nawaz issued a statement saying that if the TV channel that ran the news does not apologise immediately, she will take them to court and file a defamation lawsuit.

Responding to a suggestion by someone to seek legal action in the UK, she said that if the UK desk aired it, the family will sue them there too.

Yes. Will do. In consultation with my legal team. Won’t spare them. https://t.co/PP7OVvpPvq

— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) October 3, 2021

However, Aoun Sahi from PTV — in response to senior journalist Nasim Zehra — refuted the claims of the news of Junaid Safdar being run on the channel and tweeted, “PTV hasn’t run the story. It’s photoshopped ma’am.”

PTV hasn’t run the story. It’s photoshopped ma’am. https://t.co/ZMugvAyswQ

— Aoun Sahi (@AounSahi) October 3, 2021

Umar Cheema and Fakhar Durrani, the two journalists from The News who participated in the Pandora Papers investigation from Pakistan, were asked by Geo News about Junaid Safdar’s name in the Pandora Papers. They both said they did not come across Junaid Safdar’s name during their investigation.

“We checked the names of each member of the Sharif family,” Durrani said.

پنڈورہ پیپرز میں جنید صفدر کا نام شامل نہیں لیکن پی ٹی وی کے بقول انکے نام پانچ آف شور کمپنیاں ہیں۔ کیا پی ٹی وی کے پاس پینڈورا کے علاوہ کوئی اور لسٹ ہے؟ اگر نہیں تو سرکاری ٹی وی کو غیر مصدقہ اور فیک خبریں نشر کرنا زیب نہیں دیتا۔ pic.twitter.com/qCq4m8Z1jO

— Adil Shahzeb (@adilshahzeb) October 3, 2021

Umar Cheema also tweeted that a Twitter account by the name of ‘PandoraLeaks’ is fake. The account tweeted: “Our research has found out that Junaid Safdar, grandson of former PM Nawaz Shareef has 3 shell and 2 offshore companies in Seychelles and Virgin Islands.”

Fake account. ICIJ tweets about #PandoraPapers are only through its original account @ICIJorg. https://t.co/Tqpc5Q3pLm

— Umar Cheema (@UmarCheema1) October 3, 2021

The account has since been deleted.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which has been investigating international finance and tax havens, has released a detailed list of public figures with offshore companies called the ‘Pandora Papers’ as part of their new investigation.

VERDICT: FAKE