Nawaz Sharif's scam in UK

[SSGPA1]

Pakistan PM `made millions in UK'

Andrew Buncombe and Isambard Wilkinson in London and Peter Popham in Islamabad

A BRITISH family has become embroiled in the scandal surrounding the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, over multimillion-pound corruption allegations.

Inquiries by The Independent have established that bank accounts containing pounds 5m were set up in the names of three members of the family from Ilford, Essex. These deposits were used to raise millions of pounds in loans which, according to documents detailing Pakistan police inquiries, were channelled into Sharif family-owned businesses.
The documents, which were prepared for court actions five years ago against several members of the Sharif family, alleged that money was laundered through "fictitious bank accounts" and, using family business interests, was siphoned into offshore accounts.

The allegations against Mr Sharif, who has been Prime Minister for the past 18 months since taking over from Benizir Bhutto, who also faces corruption allegations, have resurfaced after the appearance in the West of a former senior Pakistan police officer, who is in hiding in London.

Rehman Malik, the former second-in-command of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency - the Pakistani equivalent of the FBI in the United States - has produced an unofficial 200-page report on the agency's investigations into Sharif businesses.

The investigation into Mr Sharif and his family was originally commissioned in 1993 by an interim government, after Mr Sharif's dismissal as prime minister, which asked the agency to investigate 13 separate allegations of corruption and money laundering through overseas bank accounts.

Mr Malik, 46, was suspended from his post, charged with corruption and imprisoned without trial for a year.

The criminal charges against members of the Sharif family were dismissed in the Pakistan High Court after Nawaz Sharif returned to power 18 months ago.

The Sharif family is understood to control four luxury apartments in Park Lane, London, worth about pounds 3m. His son, currently studying at King's College London, is living in one of the properties.

The Independent has been told that bank accounts were set up in the names of three members of the Qazi family who were close friends of one of Mr Sharif's political allies - now a senior government figure.

The family claims that these accounts were set up - without their knowledge - with the assistance of this senior politician who had lived with them at their home while he was studied accountancy in Britain.

They claimed that the accounts were opened using copies of their passports, which they had given him to obtain Pakistani ID cards on their behalf. They said almost pounds 5m was then deposited.

They became aware of the accounts only when they received demands from various banks demanding repayments on loans totalling millions of pounds. They insist they have done nothing wrong.

Kashif Qazi, 29, one of four brothers, said last night: "We feel stupid. We feel totally raped by this man. We trusted him for 30 years. We have to clear our names. We have lost our reputation in the community."

Despite repeated requests from The Independent, London lawyers for Mr Sharif failed to give any response to the corruption allegations against the Prime Minister.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/pakistan-pm-made-millions-in-uk-1179392.html

 

[Bane Blade]

Yes we can see that Mr. Qazi seems to have done almost everything since this article isn't it, what is the link and the date of this artice I remember this to be atleast ten years ago wasn't it he never went to the courts even under General Musharraf and neither to the British courts a sign the man was only interested in power alone.

 

[qsaark]

Yes we can see that Mr. Qazi seems to have done almost everything since this article isn't it, what is the link and the date of this artice I remember this to be atleast ten years ago wasn't it he never went to the courts even under General Musharraf and neither to the British courts a sign the man was only interested in power alone.

You have a point here, why he did not file a lawsuit during Mushrraf's time?

 

[Bane Blade]

Having said that though I don't think Nawaz is a clean man he has had business dealings in the past the same way any business man has had so lets not confuse ourselves that he is some super clean man he may have taken business deals favoring him but he never sold the sovereignty of his country like some of our leaders.

 

[Hasnain2009]

Having said that though I don't think Nawaz is a clean man he has had business dealings in the past the same way any business man has had so lets not confuse ourselves that he is some super clean man he may have taken business deals favoring him but he never sold the sovereignty of his country like some of our leaders.

NS sold sovereignty of our country to India, when he with drew forces from kargil, and u will say that Musharraf was guilty in kargil issue, so also tell me why NS banned the Musharraf's plane from landing in any airport of pakistan.

 

[sob]

Pakistan PM `made millions in UK'

The allegations against Mr Sharif, who has been Prime Minister for the past 18 months since taking over from Benizir Bhutto, who also faces corruption allegations, have resurfaced after the appearance in the West of a former senior Pakistan police officer, who is in hiding in London.

Rehman Malik, the former second-in-command of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency - the Pakistani equivalent of the FBI in the United States - has produced an unofficial 200-page report on the agency's investigations into Sharif businesses.

This seems like a very old report. Has the case been reopened.

 

[Bane Blade]

This seems like a very old report. Has the case been reopened.

unfortunately it hasn't I found this though and no related articles.

Pakistan PM `made millions in UK' - News - The Independent

 

[SSGPA1]

Having said that though I don't think Nawaz is a clean man he has had business dealings in the past the same way any business man has had so lets not confuse ourselves that he is some super clean man he may have taken business deals favoring him but he never sold the sovereignty of his country like some of our leaders.

Oh please! cry me a river ... NS is responsible for the withdrawl from Kargil ...

Musharraf's taped conversation clearly shows that he was against any concessions but Nawaz Sharif beeged Clinton on a 4th of July Holiday and sold the sovereignty of this country.

 

[SSGPA1]

Yes we can see that Mr. Qazi seems to have done almost everything since this article isn't it, what is the link and the date of this artice I remember this to be atleast ten years ago wasn't it he never went to the courts even under General Musharraf and neither to the British courts a sign the man was only interested in power alone.

Here is the link:

Pakistan PM `made millions in UK' - News - The Independent

 

[SSGPA1]

You have a point here, why he did not file a lawsuit during Mushrraf's time?

Crime happened in UK and not Pakistan.

 

[SSGPA1]

unfortunately it hasn't I found this though and no related articles.

Pakistan PM `made millions in UK' - News - The Independent

It might still be in court who knows ... point is that even forign media has exposed his corruption ...

I am hoping to get a response in a couple of days on this case and will post more info

 

[Bane Blade]

I hope you do for a case from 1998 I am sure their must have been alot of developements.

 

[SSGPA1]

I hope you do for a case from 1998 I am sure their must have been alot of developements.

The Independent stands by its story and they are more reliable then Ansar Abbasi

 

[SSGPA1]

Here are some more details:

Case was dismissed by Lahor High Court when NS came in power.

Essex man was cover for major bank fraud

Andrew Buncombe and Isambard Wilkinson


Tuesday, 20 October 1998IT IS AN ordinary enough house in an ordinary enough street: a tidy, semi-detached property in Essex with a nice car in the drive. The four sons of the family have good jobs and one owns two clothing stores.

Not exactly the sort of property normally associated with vast wealth, home of a family with international bank deposits totalling about pounds 5m. Yet Pakistan police documents show that names and addresses of three members of the Qazi family were used to open accounts with US banks in Pakistan as part of an alleged multimillion-pound corruption scandal involving Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister.

The bank accounts were, according to the documents prepared for court actions against members of the Sharif family, to raise millions of pounds in loans that went to the family.

The involvement of the Qazi family is detailed in the police documents, obtained by The Independent. They have also been produced as part of an unofficial report produced by Rehman Malik, the former second-in-command of Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency. Mr Malik has been suspended from his post and is facing several corruption charges. He is now living in London.

The court actions against the Sharif family were dismissed in the Pakistan High Court after Mr Sharif returned to power 18 months ago.

The Qazi family claims that the accounts in their names were set up with Bank of America and Citibank in Lahore without their knowledge, and that an associate of Mr Sharif was involved. This man is now a senior government figure and a close friend of Mr Sharif. But in the late Sixties he was a young student who, having graduated with honours from a university in Pakistan, was looking to pursue his qualifications as a chartered accountant in Britain.

A Pakistani friend of the man suggested that a relative, who lived in Britain, might sponsor him during his further studies. This relative was Masud Qazi, who lived in Ilford, Essex. "This man lived with us for more than seven years," said Mr Qazi, 65, a former credit control manager. "He became very close to us. In short, I treated him like my fifth son."

The student qualified in 1974 and returned to Pakistan. Yet he retained his links with the Qazis, staying at their home on his frequent visits to Britain, and becoming godfather to one of the sons. There are many photographs of the man and Mr Qazi relaxing in the house at Ilford.

In 1990, this man entered politics when Mr Sharif first obtained power. Even then he continued to stay with the Qazis. During one of these visits, the family claim they asked their high-ranking friend to obtain Pakistani ID cards for them as they were told they would be useful when they visited the country. The family say he took copies of the passports of eight family members.

It was at this point that a series of events began that was to change their lives. In 1992 they received the first of a series of statements from the US banks in Lahore, indicating that three family members - Kashif, his mother Sikandra and her daughter-in-law Nuzhat Gohar - had balances totalling pounds 5m."We immediately thought our friend was involved," said Mr Qazi. "He was the only person we knew who might be linked to money like this." The family said they questioned the friend on his next visit. "He just said we should not worry and that it was simply a procedure to raise some money. He kept telling us that it was not illegal," said Mr Qazi. "With hindsight we were very stupid, but we trusted him completely."

Soon the family began to get letters from the banks talking of a failure to repay loans raised against the deposits. Again, they say, they were told by their friend not to worry.

What happened, at least according to the police allegations, is that accounts had been used to raise loans for companiesowned by Mr Sharif and his family. A handwriting expert used by Mr Malik said the signature on the three accounts was different to that on the Qazi family's passports.

So who set up the accounts? Mr Malik's report says they were set up by associates of Mr Sharif. His report claims that the address given on the account set up in the name of Sikandra Qazi was found to be the Lahore home of their high-flying friend.

The Qazis believe what happened is clear: their passport details were passed on by their friend to another Sharif associate who then set up the accounts. They insist they were never offered any money for the use of their documents and have not received any.

Pakistan PM `made millions in UK' - News - The Independent

 

[sob]

I hope you do for a case from 1998 I am sure their must have been alot of developements.

Friends is there a time limit as per the Pakistani Law in which the case has to be tried.
Obviously you cannot try a case decades after the crime was committed, but what is the time stipulation as per the local law.