PM Khan welcomes Pandora Papers, vows to investigate Pakistanis mentioned

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.

Nearly 700 Pakistanis have been named in the report including Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) leader Sharjeel Memon, Pakistan Muslim League -Nawaz’s (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar’s son Ali Dar, Punjab provincial minister Aleem Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Vawda, Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid (PML-Q) leader and Federal Minister for Water Resources Monis Elahi.

Reacting to the news, Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed to investigate all those Pakistanis mentioned in the Pandora Papers, and tweeted: “If any wrongdoing is established we will take appropriate action.”

My govt will investigate all our citizens mentioned in the Pandora Papers & if any wrongdoing is established we will take appropriate action. I call on the international community to treat this grave injustice as similar to the climate change crisis.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 3, 2021

“We welcome the Pandora Papers exposing the ill-gotten wealth of elites, accumulated through tax evasion & corruption & laundered out to financial ‘havens’. The UN SG’s Panel FACTI calculated a staggering $7 trillion in stolen assets parked in largely offshore tax havens,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

We welcome the Pandora Papers exposing the ill-gotten wealth of elites, accumulated through tax evasion & corruption & laundered out to financial "havens". The UN SG's Panel FACTI calculated a staggering $7 trillion in stolen assets parked in largely offshore tax havens.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 3, 2021

“I call on the international community to treat this grave injustice as similar to the climate change crisis,” he added.

As per Geo News, Pandora Papers is a development to what has earlier been revealed in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, as per reports. 

The ICIJ’s major investigation titled: “The Pandora Papers”, is said to be the result of 600 journalists in 117 countries studying for months roughly 11.9 million documents that leaked from the offshore environment.

Journalist Umar Cheema, who was part of the ICIJ’s team investigating the Pandora Papers, said that the names of several Pakistanis were on the Pandora Papers, adding that people should wait for another day as the report will officially be released on October 3.