KARACHI: Names of 259 Pakistanis with links to offshore companies have surfaced in one of the world’s biggest ever data leaks through an online searchable database made public by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) late Monday evening.
The names in the latest release of documents on the website offshoreleaks.icij.org include:
Abdul Sattar Dero, a former general manager of the Port QasimAuthority
Shaukat Ahmed, the ex-president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerceand Industry (KCCI)
Saba Obaid, mother of renowned filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Irfan Puri, Salman Ahmed
Gul Muhammad Tabba
Hussain Dawood with sons Abdul Samad Dawood and Shazada Dawood
Maya Ismael daughter of the late Inayat Ismael
Ali Siddiqui son of banker and stock broker Jahangir Siddiqui
Mir Shakil ur Rahman of the Jang Group
Mir Shakil ur Rehman had reportedly said that the company was dormant with no money in it.
The database contains ownership information about companies created in 10 offshore jurisdictions including the British Virgin Islands, the Cook Islands and Singapore. It covers nearly 30 years until 2010.
The database is flooded with traffic from around the world and will take more time to fully sift through.
Obaid-Chinoy responded to a request for comment from Dawn by saying, “I fully support ICIJ and the laudable efforts being made by it… I would, however, like to clarify that in that my name is not mentioned in the Panama leaks and I am neither the legal nor the beneficial owner of any enterprise mentioned in the Panama Papers.”
“There is a mention of my mother, Mrs. Saba Obaid (wife of Late S.M. Obaid) and I say with confidence that the off-shore companies mentioned in the Panama Papers as being owned by my mother are compliant with the applicable laws.”