THE Panama Papers leak by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) was arguably the biggest journalistic scoop ever, and possibly the first time that journalists working together managed to create a splash whose impact was felt worldwide. One is hard-pressed to think of any other story produced by any journalist that has had even a remotely comparable global impact. The leak was not a minor one. It involved 11.5m documents from one of the world’s most opaque corners — an offshore haven used by criminals, billionaires and politicians to hold, launder and transact in a murky sphere beyond the reach of any state regulatory authority. All manner of ill-gotten gains and dirty money swirls around in this world, and the trail of ownership that came out of the Panamanian firm whose documents were leaked went from the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, to the prime minister of Iceland and the son of Egypt’s former strongman Hosni Mubarak, amongst many others. Most significantly for Pakistan, there appeared to be a direct link to the daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as well as assorted billionaires and the family of the man referred to as the father of the country’s nuclear programme.

Here is proof that in an age of fake news and ‘alternative facts’ unleashed by the spread of social media, journalism still had relevance and the capacity to make an impact that would be felt in the most recessed power corridors of the world. More than 300 journalists belonging to over 100 news organisations spread across six continents worked together for a year, poring over the troves of data contained in the files to cast a light on one of the world’s darkest spots. The scale of the collaboration is unprecedented. To enable it, the ICIJ built a platform to facilitate interaction of those on the global team in real time across many time zones. In the end, though, the impact of journalism is measured in the real-world effects it produces, and the Panama Papers triggered the most intense scrutiny of tax codes around the world; not surprisingly, it caused several heads to roll. In Pakistan, a court case holds the fate of the prime minister in the balance. Journalists around the world should take heart from this work and the award of the Pulitzer Prize, because it proves that the tools of their craft, and the spirit of collaboration can yet help make the world a more transparent place.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2017