FBR to probe 135 Pakistanis named in Paradise Papers

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is examining the ParadiseLeaks, said a spokesperson for the organisation on Monday.

The Paradise Papers mentioned the names of 135 Pakistani nationals, including former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, reported Geo News on Monday.

Pakistanis, whose names have appeared in the latest data dump of financial papers, will be issued a notice in this regard.

The spokesperson added that the list of names was extensive and all those Pakistani nationals named in the papers would be investigated, added the FBR statement.

The Paradise Papers is a database comprising around 13.4 million documents, which reveal over 25,000 companies owned by the world's rich and influential individuals.

The documents were obtained from two companies in Singapore and Bermuda by a German newspaper and shared with the ICIJ. A major part of the Panama Papers comprises leaked files from company 'Appleby'.

The files reveal the data of over 25,000 companies owned by individuals from 180 countries, from 1950 to 2016.

As many as 127 politicians and public officials (14 current or former country leaders included) are from more than 47 countries.

Meanwhile, India formed a panel of government officials to investigate cases that figure in the so-called Paradise Papers, a trove of leaked documents about offshore investments of wealthy individuals and institutions.

The officials from government bodies and the central bank will carry out and monitor the investigation, the finance ministry said.

The leaked documents were obtained by Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and some media outlets.

Reuters has not independently verified the documents which relate to the affairs of individuals and institutions ranging from the US.