Dubai Leaks: Zardari, Nawaz among Pakistanis own offshore properties worth Rs30 trln

A global investigative journalism group has released details of approximately $400 billion worth of properties owned by foreigners in Dubai in the form of 'Property Leaks".

The “Dubai Unlocked” report on Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) website — a collaborative investigative project involving over 70 media outlets worldwide — provides the most comprehensive insight into property ownership by non-locals in the Middle Eastern city to date.

It has been revealed that there are approximately $400 billion worth of properties owned by foreigners in Dubai, including several political figures from around the world, government officials, and retired government officers and bureaucrats.

The report also reveals that Pakistanis are second on the list of property buyers in Dubai, owning properties worth around $11 billion, while India tops the list.

The leaks also reveal that there are 23,000 properties owned by 17,000 Pakistanis in Dubai, with a combined value of nearly $11 billion.

In the leaks, properties registered under the names of President Asif Ali Zardari and his three children, General (R) Pervez Musharraf, former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, are mentioned. Additionally, more than a dozen retired government officers, a police chief, diplomats, and scientists are also included in the Property Leaks.

Furthermore, Hussain Nawaz Sharif, the wife of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, is also a property owner in Dubai, along with Shehbaz Sharif and family members. Senator Faisal Vawda's name is also among those who own properties in Dubai.

The leaks also reveal that four members of the National Assembly from Sindh, more than six members of the Balochistan and Sindh provincial assemblies are also property owners in Dubai.

The leaks further disclose that the highest number of properties have been purchased by Indians, with 35,000 properties owned by 29,700 Indians in Dubai. The total value of properties owned by Indians in Dubai is approximately $17 billion. Additionally, there are 22,000 properties owned by 19,500 British citizens in Dubai.

The total value of properties purchased by British citizens in Dubai is $10 billion. Eight thousand five hundred Saudi citizens have purchased 16,000 properties worth over $8 billion in Dubai."