ISLAMABAD – In the wake of Panama Papers that exposed how the elites evade from paying taxes, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday announced the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the scandal.
In what he said was his first ever address to the nation regarding personal clarification, the prime minister said: “Once again some people are targeting me for personal objectives.”
Nawaz said that some people were targeting his family for political objectives. “We face criticism if our kids earn in country and face allegations if they earn from abroad.”
He announced a judicial commission, with a retired judge acting as its head, to probe the Panama scandal. “Commission will prove whether the allegations are true or not,” he said.
The prime minister’s address comes after a massive data leak of a secretive Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca, that created offshore companies for the world’s rich and powerful.
Offshore entities, of themselves, are not illegal. But they can be used to launder money or hide assets from tax authorities in other countries.
The documents, at least 11 million in total, show how the company has helped some clients launder money, dodge sanctions and avoid tax.
The company says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and has never been charged with criminal wrong-doing.
The documents feature 12 current or former heads of state, and at least 60 people linked to current or former world leaders.
