TI corruption index: Will opposition accept 2018 report about Nawaz Sharif’s Avenfield House?
PTI-led government became the centre of criticism after the Transparency International CPI in which the country ranked 140.
ISLAMABAD: The federal government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has become the centre of criticism after Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2021 in which the country dropped 16 places as compared to the previous year, ranking 140 out of 180 countries.
The opposition parties have gotten an opportunity to thrash the PTI-led government over the indication of a rise in corruption in accordance with the TI CPI in which Pakistan dropped to 124 to 140 position after its score was 28 in 2021 and 31 in 2020.
This development raised the question of whether the opposition parties would accept the 2018 report published by the same institution, Transparency International (TI) United Kingdom (UK) in which it spotted dubious properties in Britain including Nawaz Sharif’s Avenfield House in Park Lane, London.
What is in the 2018 TI report?
The institution had suggested the UK authorities implement Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) which came into force in 2018 to help law enforcement act on corrupt assets.
The report stated that ‘there are sufficient grounds for suspicion that an asset has been acquired with the proceeds of corruption.’
Transparency International had gathered details of five cases including Nawaz Sharif’s Avenfield House in London based on open source information that law enforcement should consider using UWOs in forming a case for civil recovery proceedings against potentially illicit wealth.
Transparency International Pakistan
The office of Transparency International Pakistan is based in Karachi which is being managed by the managing director, Syed Adil Gilani, who is also facing the accusation of being involved in corruption.
According to the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, Nawaz Sharif had posted Syed Adil Gilani, the head of Transparency International Pakistan, as the ambassador to Serbia during his tenure.
Gill termed him ‘mouthpiece of Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) and Nawaz Sharif’.
یہ پڑی ہے ساری کی ساری ٹرانپرینسی انٹرنیشنل۔ جب ٹی وی ٹیم وہاں گئی تو آگے سے جواب ملا کہ عادل گیلانی صاحب نے اندر جانے کی اجازت نہیں دی۔
جی یہ وہی عادل گیلانی ہیں جن کو نواز شریف نے سربیا میں سفیر مقرر کیا تھا۔ سو جو عادل گیلانی کی رپورٹ ہے اسے آپ شریف خاندان کی لکھی سمجھیں pic.twitter.com/TcFIwBT976
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) January 25, 2022
یہ پڑی ہیں خبریں ٹرانپرینسی انٹرنیشنل کو بنانے والوں کی۔ https://t.co/2TN9IMOFX8 pic.twitter.com/B4FeuZ5t4a
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) January 25, 2022
It may be noted here that Gilani had faced a probe by Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) over corruption charges against him during the tenure of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in 2009 and 2010.
The cases against Syed Adil Gilani raised many eyebrows regarding the credibility of Transparency International Pakistan.
