Karachi: Imran Khan, Pakistan's Prime Minister-in-waiting, vowed that he would recover the nation’s wealth which had been plundered by a few. Imran Khan has told Britain he will retrieve wealth looted from his country and stashed in the UK by corrupt Pakistani politicians. The former cricketer used his first meeting with British officials since his general election win to say he would pursue laundered money.
New anti-corruption UK legislation designed to target oligarchs and international crime could be used to freeze or seize property and assets if there is evidence it was bought with illegal or unexplained wealth. Attacks on the greed of Pakistan’s dynastic ruling elite have been the cornerstone of the populist anti-corruption drive which has swept Khan to power.
He has denounced the political class for siphoning off money from public sector institutions and contracts and then stashing it away overseas. The issue has dominated Pakistan’s politics since the Panama Papers leak linked former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s family to offshore companies and four Park Lane flats.
In the meeting with British High Commissioner Thomas Drew, Khan said it was “our firm resolve to bring back to the country the money laundered to the UK.” According to reports, while no specific requests for investigations or seizures were made during the meeting, the UK said it would “work constructively” with the new leader. The UK government has brought in new legislation to combat money laundering and corruption as it tries to tackle London’s reputation as a haven for dirty money, much of it from Russia.
Expensive London property bought through shell companies in weakly regulated jurisdictions has long been a favourite way to hide ill-gotten wealth for everyone from mobsters and gangsters. A spokesman for the British High Commission said: “Tackling corruption is a UK government priority and we will continue to work constructively with Pakistan on this issue.” He said Britain has robust laws “for the recovery of illicit assets where there is evidence to do so”.
No foreign leader to be invited
Meanwhile, Imran Khan has decided not to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any other foreign leader as well as celebrities to his swearing-in ceremony on August 11. Khan has opted for a simple oath-taking ceremony instead of a star-studded event. Imran will take oath at the President House in Islamabad.
The PTI had initially planned to organise a grand oath-taking ceremony, with several foreign leaders and celebrities as invitees. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood superstar Amir Khan and former Indian cricketers such Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavasker and Navjot Singh Sidhu were expected to be invited. However, in an apparent change of heart, Imran has opted against a fancy ceremony.
