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LAHORE: Tehmina Durrani, wife of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, has demanded return of the offshore wealth to the nation even if the companies are legal.
In one of her tweets, she says that offshore companies, foreign properties and accounts may be legal but for her these are (at least) unethical.
And she equals unethical to “soul selling” which she terms, in her another tweet, a crime worse than illegal (acts).
She advises her in-laws (the house of Sharifs) to clear their name of the corruption allegations by returning all this foreign wealth.
“[The] only way to clear Sharif name is to keep [the] minimum, simplify life drastically, return all foreign and local wealth to the nation,” she says in another tweet.
Perturbed at the mentioning of her name as beneficiary of the offshore companies being a member of the Sharif family, she says had she been that rich she would have donated all to the poor people of her country.
She was embarrassed to be equated with the “maha” rich (dirty rich) league in the poverty-stricken nation.
Laughing off a news channel report making her part of a big-happy-offshore-family, Ms Durrani says she married Shahbaz Sharif 14 years ago but they (in-laws) “never met me for reasons qualified for them”.
Seeking proof from the media of her offshore wealth, she claims that she did not even inherit from her mother recalling that her parents had disowned her in 1991 for writing My Feudal Lord, her autobiography encompassing the ordeals she faced in her first marriage with former Punjab governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar.
“Proof of my name on any offshore company or foreign property or fund should be shown to the people of my country,” she demands, sarcastically commenting, “This false news makes me wonder if everyone’s crime is false! Media should not lose credibility on this scandal. It’ll be one more national loss.”
She stresses that other than a 10-marla house from her husband in Lahore she owns nothing in Pakistan and has no savings either. “So please correct this falsehood.”
Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2016
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Comments (68) Closed
Apr 06, 2016 07:08am
Revolt in home. Something starts happening in Pakistan. Fingers crossed!
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Apr 06, 2016 07:33am
I admire you so much .it is time for his cabinet to resigne if they have a grain of self respect.
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Apr 06, 2016 07:40am
Brave lady. Salute to you. She spoke the mind of 180 million Pakistanis. If Sharifs bring back all the wealth, they will be real rich in the hearts of people of Pakistan
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Apr 06, 2016 08:04am
Well Tehmina, kudos to you.
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Apr 06, 2016 08:17am
She is right. She had faced slot of ups and down in her life. I read 'my feudal lords'
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Apr 06, 2016 08:28am
Good. At least some one has courage to speak the truth.
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Apr 06, 2016 08:59am
Natural reaction ....
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Apr 06, 2016 09:11am
Teena Durrani is a great human. I wonder how Shahbaaz will react on her statement? Looking forward to his next move, if any
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Apr 06, 2016 09:20am
She is so innocent .
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Apr 06, 2016 09:24am
This is the first time I have heard of this great and brave lady Mrs. Tehmina Durrani. After reading this article I have nothing but a great deal of respect for her. This lady is everything that Mariyam Nawaz Sharif is not.
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Apr 06, 2016 09:26am
Ethically PM should resign too.
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Apr 06, 2016 09:40am
Siyasat only
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Apr 06, 2016 10:25am
The Prime Minister is setting up a judicial commission. If he was afraid of any wrong doing, he would have covered up as did Justice Iftikhar Chauhdri. I am surprised at the comments of PPP leaders and Bilawal Bhutto. If they think that their leaders committed no sins, they should also offer themselves for scrutiny before the proposed judicial commission. It would be great if the Commission's terms of reference could allow them to investigate all those Pakistanis who have been named in the Panama leaks
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Apr 06, 2016 10:36am
I completely agree with her. This matter shall be refereed in terms of ethics. How some one come to know that Country Prime Minster son stating that I am out of country since 1992 so i am not responsible for Returning Files. Imagine a son of Prime Minster who is having all his business in other country and you assume that Foreign investment will come. This is even mockery of law.
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Apr 06, 2016 11:05am
What about conflict of interest
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Apr 06, 2016 11:13am
What Tehmina Durani is saying is 100% correct. Pakistan's responsible departments must listen and act. PM and CM Punjab must resign immediately.
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Apr 06, 2016 12:13pm
Very interesting comments.
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Apr 06, 2016 12:18pm
PM should resign...
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Apr 06, 2016 12:22pm
If all this is true...then it is good for her...we should not go in details of people's personal lives...
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Apr 06, 2016 12:26pm
Not a bad suggestion at all, straight forward to do. The assets held by the familiies of Pakistani politicians in power should be cashed and brought back to Pakistan for investment within the country. Apartments on Park Lane must be worth hundreds of millions of pounds sterling. Not even the chief executives of the biggest corporations in Britain can afford several Park lane apartments. It's highly doubtful that the sale of a steel mill in Saudi Arabia could have generated such a large amount of money. There must be some income statement of a company that shows where the cash for these real estate purchases was generated. For the sake of transparency and coming clean, these records should be publicly disclosed rather than just some vague references.
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Apr 06, 2016 12:33pm
@adnan : bhayya, politics is a complex science. Can we stop reducing every scheme, design, plot or score-settling to 'siyasat'? It is this shallow understanding of politics in our society that paints it as a notorious tool for personal benefit only.
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Apr 06, 2016 12:44pm
How much of their wealth is set aside for purely philanthropic purposes, if any? And is that charity based in Pakistan where millions are needy?
If not than they could learn something from Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, two of the richest people on earth who are giving away their wealth to needy causes, rather than accumulating it!
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Apr 06, 2016 12:45pm
She is right.
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Apr 06, 2016 12:46pm
PM should resign
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Apr 06, 2016 01:25pm
If the politicians, such as NS do not differentiate between legal and illegal - as in Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion - than I seriously doubt they care one bit about 'right or wrong'..
More importantly, by stashing most of their wealth outside the country proves how little confidence they have in the country and their own performance, when they are in power, and yet are unable to inspire others to invest in Pakistan - without leading by example!
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Apr 06, 2016 02:09pm
Oh I love this lady, she always says something sensible, which is unheard from the elite of our country.
Keep up the good work.
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Apr 06, 2016 02:17pm
This comment is another point scoring tactic. A family member condemning another family member so the audience should look towards the THE GOOD COP from same family. Shareefs are seasoned politicians. Wake up Pakistanis.
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Apr 06, 2016 02:29pm
Tehmina Durrani is a great personality with courage and an intact ethical compass. I feel great respect for her devotion to take care of Afghan children, suffered during the war. May God bless her.
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Apr 06, 2016 02:34pm
Well if this not a stunt on behalf of your outlaws, then I have nothing bu respect Ms. Durrani!
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Apr 06, 2016 03:14pm
Good Thinking, but it should not just to return the money, bring all the money back to Pakistan, slash the lifestyle and live like ordinary middle class people of Pakistan, why not remove the position of Governor and convert all governor houses, CM Houses, PM House into universities or hotels or sell them, why can't CM Punjab, CM KP, CM Sindh and CM Baluchistan can live in a 10 marla (240 Yard) houses in their respective provincial capitals......
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Apr 06, 2016 03:21pm
Prime minister must resign.
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Apr 06, 2016 03:26pm
its a bold statement and all my respects to her.
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Apr 06, 2016 03:56pm
Great Lady! Respect from Canada.
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Apr 06, 2016 04:25pm
What she says is a highly effective passive attack for indirect benefit to her family. She is a real expert in such matters and plans things with intended result achieved after two or three stages of moves.
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Apr 06, 2016 04:29pm
This is one classy lady. Pakistan ought to be run by people with such mind set. Still hope for Pakistan.
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Apr 06, 2016 05:20pm
MS. Durrani Sahiba. You are one brave women. You know what is supreme. Honesty, simplicity, truthness, loyalty to country, kindness all good things. Being rich in Pakistan is not a bad thing. People in Pakistan let this class to breath and enjoy their life. Provide an atmosphere where rich people could contribute back in the country. If their money is legally earned then that money belongs to them and they should have the freedom to keep it where ever they want to keep it.
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Apr 06, 2016 05:22pm
Admirable courage and moral strength. She should be a voice in the parliament.
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Apr 06, 2016 05:27pm
Madam it is called tax evasion.
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Apr 06, 2016 05:32pm
Offshore accounts not ethical only after got caught. This is neither vision nor voice of inner moral, this is pure politics.
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Apr 06, 2016 05:49pm
kudos to her for speaking her mind out! Makes one wonder if there's some hope after all.. you never know.
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Apr 06, 2016 05:50pm
Ya right!
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Apr 06, 2016 05:51pm
Family politics playing with poor masses of Pakistan, political statment from Tahmina at this time just to save the falling Kingdom of Shareef's family. where was she was before this Panama leaks. Is she so ignorant of the family affairs?
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Apr 06, 2016 06:04pm
@truth If people of Pakistan want him to resign, they should be on the street. Only one leader is speaking out and that is Imran Khan.
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Apr 06, 2016 06:18pm
A BIG Game.... Good move for PML-N to gain sympathies.
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Apr 06, 2016 06:24pm
The only straight forward person in the Sharif household
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Apr 06, 2016 06:48pm
Don't need a commission or committee to find out facts. Question should be asked from every Pakistani account holders are:
According to Pakistani laws, Did these people declare their assets in Pakistan?
Did these people got permission from state Bank of Pakistan to send money abroad to start these companies?
Was income tax paid on the Govt of Pakistan?
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Apr 06, 2016 07:00pm
She is the background operative in Punjab Government initiating and enforcing the women's protection bill.
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Apr 06, 2016 07:06pm
I agree with her in substance. But legally owning an offshore company is within the law. There are reasons that people keep wealth abroad, number one among them is to protect their wealth from criminals. See if people know you have money then they will kidnap someone and ask you to pay up.
That is the big reason for all these offshore wealth. The second one tax relief. Even in pakistan foreign income is not subject to declaration or taxes. So why do we have such a big hue and cry?
Its politics. I am surprised no one is asking Putin to step down.
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Apr 06, 2016 07:11pm
Such type of people can not represent the poverty-stricken nation. Such dirty-rich people have no right to rule over us. Their sole objective to stick to power is to evade tax and to further their personal business enterprise.
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Apr 06, 2016 07:30pm
Admirable courage and morality. Ideally, Tehmina should be a voice in the parliament.
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Apr 06, 2016 07:47pm
Bring our money back otherwise people will come out on street....
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Apr 06, 2016 08:18pm
@Muhammad Arshad Sir, Prime minister of Pakistan and chief minister of provinces are offices of state of Pakistan. These offices has its protocols and respect. So, it would plain foolishness to convert them to anything else. As far as leading simple life, the state functionaries can do so still living in their official residences.
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Apr 06, 2016 08:22pm
Ms. Durrani, the idea is good but not practicable. Only wrong thing in this issue is that the PM and his family do not have the moral ground to ask other rich people to invest thier wealth in Pakistan, as they are not doing it themselves. Otherwise Sharifs gave rights to own flats and companies in foreign countries ... Since no corruption case sre pending with them
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Apr 06, 2016 08:27pm
Where did Mariam, Hasan and Hussain Sharifs get the money to establish offshore companies while they were teens in 1993-94?
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Apr 06, 2016 10:08pm
@Shah good question.
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Apr 06, 2016 10:43pm
Oh dear Tehmina !!! Time to write another book !!!
Just you can do it lady !!!
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Apr 06, 2016 11:02pm
Ethically her husband should resign too.
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Apr 07, 2016 12:05am
Offshore assets are not legal; under NAB law if you cannot explain your assets, you are deemed to have committed a crime under Section 9. Since Sharifs have admitted they own the properties, under NAB law the onus is on them to prove that they got the money legally!
Some are trying to dilute the issue by calling it only an ethical one, may be so internationally or in some jurisdiction, but in Pakistan under NAB, its an offense especially for the public officer holders and their close relatives.
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Apr 07, 2016 12:53am
I wonder in the last 14 years she never sensed or felt any wrong doings in her in laws family?
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Apr 07, 2016 02:37am
Brave lady! Finally!!!
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Apr 07, 2016 04:59am
Great Lady, Respect
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Apr 07, 2016 05:39am
Wow, that's some statement within House of Lords. Let's see how far it goes??
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Apr 07, 2016 06:18am
PM must resign.Tehmina you truly are a brave lady.Welldon !
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Apr 07, 2016 02:43pm
Tehmina has credibility, on the other hand, Army needs to take serious action, i sincerely wish if general Raheel Sharif's tenure can be extended, the real honest Person Pakistan needs so badly,
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Apr 07, 2016 03:49pm
sir, i respect this lady. i have read her book my feudal lord.
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Apr 07, 2016 03:54pm
i request teena durrani,please come to India and say the same thing. i heard many debates in Indian channels. they were telling, India is democracy.proper process should be followed
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Apr 07, 2016 05:59pm
is it only sweet talk or she means it? It is good talk though.
Return the wealth where it belongs.
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Apr 07, 2016 09:29pm
Impressed with her comments. She is true Patriot by sharing her believes. She is keeping it real.
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