Gifts Taken By Shaukat Aziz
By Guest Blogger • Jul 8th, 2009 • Category: Politics • 37 CommentsIt is an amazing gift list of over 1,000 items, of which one-third were not even reported by Shaukat Aziz. The cost of these gifts runs into millions. The gifts included diamond necklaces, gold ornaments, pearls, Persian carpets and jewelled wrist watches. The Saudi king was most generous. One necklace alone which he gifted to Shaukat Aziz would easily bring one million rupees in the open market. The sultan of Brunei and the prime minister of Bahrain also showered him with expensive gifts. The oil-rich Arab countries are in the forefront as gift-givers. There are hardly any expensive gifts from Europe or the US. Obviously in democracies the prime minister or president is not permitted to give expensive gifts at the cost of the public exchequer.
Shaukat Aziz, of course, is the richest prime minister Pakistan ever had the pleasure to have. He is a multi-millionaire in American dollars and yet he amassed gifts to augment his wealth.
The US law on foreign gifts states that the president may accept a gift which the president reasonably and in good faith believes to have a value of less than $50. The president may not accept gifts from a single source having a cumulative value during a calendar year of more than $100. If the president receives a gift the value of which exceeds the limit established in law, the gift is accepted on behalf of the United States and is deemed to be the property of the state. This law also applies to the president’s spouse. Mr Shaukat Aziz ignored the pertinent point that he was given gifts not as an individual but as prime minister of Pakistan. As such, all the gifts he has received while in office are the property of the state.
When Obama travelled to Saudi Arabia, nearly a dozen White House staffers travelling with him received alligator-skin briefcases from the Saudi king. Inside, they found an array of expensive jewels, including rings, necklaces, gemstones and watches. The surprised staff members didn’t need an appraiser to tell them the jewels-stuffed briefcases far exceeded the $335 limit on gifts government employees are allowed to accept. The gifts were handed over to the State Department. Under the law, they are treated as gifts to the United States, not the individuals
By Mir Shakeelur Rehman
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Disgusting and abhoring.
maria
truth is always disgusting and abhorring in our circles.Can our gift chores or bijli chores have a courage to face the public wrath on streets of Pakistan.
The problem is with the despotic authoritarian Arab regimes
hasan
you are living in south Asian region not in UAE among Arab community.Shuakat aziz is pure Pakistani and musaharf is ex Indian ,son of a popular drummer or tablachi hired by our foreign office to amuse foreign delegations. so where Arab culture comes in their genes?
nazia,
please please show respect for President Musharraf. Grandparents of most of us are ex-Indians, so is there anything wrong with that? President Musharraf is a Syed by caste, which is the most respected caste among Muslims.
Blame those corrupt Arab despots who hand briefcases full of jewels to all visiting government officials. US has a law barring its officials from receiving any personal gifts. In Pakistan there’re no such laws. Ask your champions of good governance, Sharif Mian brothers to forward a bill in NA for similar legislation. Afterall, they are the opposition in the NA
hasan
read my comment 2 and that is what you are feeling. I just heard this truth about your syed musharf from a senior foreign office man who has worked under musharf for 5 years.
Ok when there comes topic of syed of pakistan I am ready to give you true stories of their sins in the name of ISLAM and culture so have a big heart for hearing such true stories of our real syeds of Pakistan.
Parday main rehnay do parda no utohoa
I dont see on other areas for reasoning our weakness.All sins and crimes are in our hearts, dont blame others for your wrong doings.
what Pakistan’s constitution says about receiving or giving gifts? If it is silent on this clause then no need beating about the bush!..
Anybody having idea of Law of pakistan regarding this?
yes haider, this is what they don’t understand.
Hi,
In India we have a law which states no gifts can be accepted which is more than value of rupees 250/-!!!!They might have changed it now with globalisation and Americans coming in droves in to our sanctom santorium of BABuDOM.
Nazia,
I am realy dissapointed with your arrogance about socalled PURE PAKISTANI BLOOD.. nOTHING IN THE WORLD IS EVER PURE. Your father of nation was also an Indian till 1947 and his Jinnah house still is in Mumbai and his grand son is one of the richest Indian textile tycoons owning Bombay dyeing.
I understand your hatred for Musharaff the dictator but please donot pass derogatory remarks about his parents.
Sharam magar inn ko aati nahi.
Shoukat Aziz and His Wife is a big defaulter of Mobilink also. If you don’t trust me then contact Credit and Collection team of Mobilink.
These leeches are the main reason of Pakistan’s worst economic situation.
@4
nazia has now shown her real face and her reasons for a bias attitude towards Musharraf, an “ex-Indain”
Can I ask about the nationality of her parents and grand parents?
It is always good to tell the truth no matter what. However, when you are write humiliating remarks with some facts, it becomes apparent that your views and thoughts are “very” opinionated and not rational. It would have been very pertinent if you had included some facts about other ex- Pakistani Prime Ministers as well to let us see a comparison and a complete picture that how Shaukat Aziz stands with respect of our other Prime Ministers. It would be wonderful if you could use your “”contacts”" in Foreign Office to tell you how many times Benazir and Nawaz Sharif rejected the gifts from our Arab Friends. I have to say that you must have proof of this, otherwise you wouldn’t be beating the drum with such a forceful and insightful “top secret” piece of journalism.
As for the friend who has come up with the story of decade that Shaukat Aziz and his wife did not pay their mobile phone bills to MObilink - a company owned by a Federal Minister under him - may be they should ask Mr. Saif, when he is going to file an FIR against him. After all, if Shaukat Aziz is no more in the government, then it will be no trouble in locking him up in jail for a decade or so.
Just for reference of these friends. Please compare Shaukat Aziz’s unpaid Mobilink Phone Bills and gift taking from Arabs (which is only coming out now through blogs and not Newspapers) with the published journalistic reports of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif of how much they took not from Arab Sheikhs or from companies of their cabinet’s Federal Ministers but directly from Government of Pakistan and people of Pakistan.
Also, Meraj Khalid who is considered the saintliest Prime Ministers of Pakistan, ran his entire 80s, 90s campaigns with drug money, made at the expense of 1.5 million Pakistanis.
http://www.wikimir.com/malik-meraq-khalid
Oh, and one more thing. May be the top mole in Foreign Office is not very literate. Since he could see the shimmering jewels given to Shaukat Aziz by Arabs, but could not read the US$ 150 million (personal cheque) which Shaukat Aziz wrote to the Government of Pakistan, when the country was on the verge of collapse. (PS. He is the only PM in the history of Pakistan who gave his personal money albeit as a loan to help the country).
Be rational and open minded and look at facts in light of all the information. Also, to give you an idea of what Pakistan’s population (living in Pakistan - lower middle and lower class - not like you living outside Pakistan and having high flying foreign office friends) thought of Shaukat Aziz; majority of the voters voted for PML-Q (including everyone I know). The stats are available at the Government’s website. If Pakistan was really in such a badshape, they how come majority of Pakistanis chose to vote for PMLQ again. This is a very good question which all the critiques of Shaukat Aziz should think about.
Regards.
shokat was just a bull and knew nothing of politics.
Well done! Hamza
I think this should be enough to shut up nazia.
I think people are missing the point here - every society,culture,race has greedy people
Isn’t ‘accountability’ the key issue here…if there were proper checks and internal controls in place, the amount taken would be far far less.
People get away with things because they are not made accountable to someone else
Oh how unitedly AOMs join hands to revive the dying spirit of a dictator.
Where are your honest and fair leaders?
In UK residences.
all are there?
yes why not they worked so hard and devoted there all money to establish Pakistan’s economy that is growing faster and faster in zardari raj.
How they are financing in their retiring time in one of expensive cities of world?
They all are family wise rich men
Musharf father is music director of foreign office.
shukat aziz father whom dead body was remained unknown for 3 days in Lahore mortuary was big economist of Karachi. and pir altaf dada ’s expenses are paying by his devotees of Karachi.
why we cant see all of them and their extra ordinary achievements . are we color blind?
no you live in darkness caused by 12 to 14 hrs load shedding.
Who did this load shedding after successful military rule?
its India, chief justice of Pakistan and RAW so first our army would kill all talibans and then will turn towards these anti state elements and will be eliminated soon.
so you will get rid of all curses very soon as our military decided to announce its victory over enemies so wait little and every thing will be fine.
So AOMs that is what you are trying to tell us with your shutup calls
nasir
it would be my last day in TPS if I would accept low profile shut up calls from mqm clones.
first you do one little thing in your coward creatures
try to come in original forms and dont take support of dummy characters again and again.
secondly try to convince your runaway leader at least make a little trip to his Good bye third world country so people would believe he can move out of telephone of his UK residences too .
and one thing remember nasir or write in front of you that being an Pakistani or Indian or your originality is never an abuse for anybody but it is some kind of honor to accept your true identity.
I just conveyed hasan that in shaukat and musharf personalities ,culture of subcontinent is dominant and no link with Arab culture that he mentioned.
But you confined yourself in Urdu community only as per your words in your blog so cant think beyond your range and here you prove it through your low standard of inconceivability.try to read my response again if possible……
Mir Shakeelur Rehamans is going about the bushes of United states, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Europe and high lighting especially the generosity of oil rich emirates.
Let’s talk about Pakistan and Pakistan only. Do we have some clause in our constitution where it is described that how the head of the states of Pakistan have to deal with such gifts?
Come out with the subject clause and bring the man on the mat. The man concerned might have opted to live abroad but our embassies can always approach any previous head of state and serve them with the note to do the needful. Lets us discuss which can be materialised and not for just; ‘Chaska’. We need to cut our habits of maligning everyone who so ever goes off scene and praise—- all the rising –suns.
And if we do not have any governmental bindings fixed for the head of states then better— not talk about it.
Hamza
our news pages are full of details of open corruption cases of shaaukat aziz regimes.from where I should start.
discrepancies in privatization
stock exchange historical crash
steel mill scandal that have shaken the pillar of musharf.
FIA investigations in money laundering cases to US under shaukat aziz management
It is very difficult for me to mix altogether lets only discuss one case and it was coverup plan for loan defaulters.It might help your altaf jee to further expedite his request to our CJP
top Guns Got Over 53 Billion Rupees Bank Loans Written Off
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 23 October 2007 (The News): As the present
Government completes its five-year term in office on
November 15 [2007], it has been officially disclosed in a secret
report that the top guns of Pakistan got 53.499 billion rupees bank
loans written off on the basis of a decision taken by the financial
team of General Pervez Musharraf in October 2002.
This shocking disclosure has been made in a secret report submitted
before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly
which has been requested to take up the issue at the earliest time to
know the reasons behind such a massive loss to the public exchequer
facilitating the privileges of the present Government.
As the present Government would claim to be the
first in the history of Pakistan that has completed five years in
office, at the same time it would also be ‘credited’ with writing off
such an unprecedented amount of loans within its five years in office
to facilitate top guns of the regime.
The report shows that a total of over 50,000 persons - including
politicians, civil and military business concerns, and business
tycoons of Karachi, Lahore and other areas - were the direct
beneficiaries of this massive favour.
Two sitting chief ministers of the [Punjab and Balochistan] provinces
[Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Jam Muhmmad Yousaf] and their families,
having big business concerns and stakes, are also beneficiaries of
these written off loans whose details would be discussed in the
committee meeting.
Although in the past, reports of written off loans have been appearing
at different forums including the National Assembly, this is the first
time that the total written off amount has come to surface.
The Chief Minister of [Punjab] province, [Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi],
whose family owns sugar mills, also got loans written off under this
scheme. The Chief Minister of [Balochistan] province, [Jam Muhmmad
Yousaf], got loans written off outstanding against his ghee [cooking
oil] mills. Even some foreign firms and multinational companies and a
private bus service operating from Lahore to different cities of
Punjab were also extended this facility.
Earlier, soon after elections in October 2002, the then Finance
Minister Shaukat Aziz and his financial team at the State Bank [of
Pakistan (SBP)] approved a ‘written off loan scheme’ in the same month
(October 2002) after certain top politicians of the] Government put them under pressure to ease financial burden of loans from their business concerns.
In the garb of writing off non-performing loans of small businessmen,
these top guns quietly got billions of rupees written off. An official
of the PAC confirmed to The News that a report has been received
containing the details of loans written off during the last five
years.
Copy of the report available with The News shows that soon after the
October 2002 elections, General Pervez Musharraf’s financial team
decided to launch a scheme to write off loans of the big guns as it
set the minimum limit of written off loans at Rs 0.5 million. This 0.5
million condition deprived small growers and small businessmen of this
scheme and only big guns were the beneficiaries.
The report said that prudent banking practices and prudential
regulations issued by the State Bank required securing loans through
best guarantees, viable credit approvals, proper documentations and
effective monitoring and follow up to avert flow of cases of non-
performing loans. On the contrary, cases of non-performing loans were
allowed to be accumulated by the banks and the SBP.
Instead of launching an effective campaign for recovery of such loans,
the SBP issued an incentive scheme to the banks/DFIs in October 2002
for writing off NPLs [Non-Performing Loans] of the organizations
showing “loss” for three years or more. The NPLs for the purpose of
the scheme were divided into three categories: category A included
NPLs up to Rs 0.5 million, category B included NPLs ranging from Rs
0.5 million to Rs 2.5 million; whereas, category C included NPLs more
than Rs 2.5 million. The big political families and top guns exploited
the third category of the written off loans to get billions of rupees
outstanding against them written off from the banks.
As a result of the scheme, the banks/DFIs settled over 50,000 cases
involving outstanding amount of 74.879 billion rupees; whereas, only
11 billion rupees could be recovered. The report claims that the
scheme resulted in realization of only 15.15% of the outstanding loans
but major portion of the loans was either written off or could not be
recovered.
Meanwhile, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) in its report to PAC
has opined that this practice resulted in encouraging defaulters with
an extraordinary financial burden on the public exchequer.
The report said the shocking written-off loans issue was raised with
the Ministry of Finance and SBP management. The matter was also
discussed in subsequent meetings in the recent past with the last one
held in March 2007.
Meanwhile, a SBP official has argued that the writing off of loans in
the banking sector was under a policy guideline issued vide circular
No. 29 and that the losses mentioned by audit did not pertain to the
SBP.
But the AGP in his report has observed that such a huge write off may
be looked into which was made possible due to circular No. 29 of SBP
and recoveries be made from the plunderers of public exchequer.
Talking to The News, Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub strongly
defended the policy of the [Musharraf Thieves] Government to introduce
a scheme to help the borrowers settle their Non-Performing Loans
(NPLs) with the banks including the National Bank [of Pakistan (NBP)].
He said that these NPLs were settled in the light of circular No. 29
issued by the State Bank. Omar said, a total of 50,414 borrowers
availed the facility of settling their loans under this scheme which
he confirmed was introduced in October 2002 after general elections.
Omar said that these decisions were taken by the boards of these banks
that were quite independent and were not under the influence of the
[Musharraf Military] Government. He said actually these Non-Performing
Loans were becoming a burden on the banks itself so the decision was
taken to rather settle them after offering them a package.
Omar did not subscribe to the notion that top guns of the Government, including chief ministers or ministers, had got their loans written off under this scheme. He also rejected the
impression that these loans were written off as a bribe both to the
politicians and big businessmen.
When told that even NBP had written off loans outstanding against some
top politicians, Omar replied: “We need to understand that banks were
deciding those cases in their own business interests without caring
for pressure from any side.”
Corruption or No Corruption.Our Nation (Pakistan) is Bankrupt in Morale Values. Just do not blame one person or group of people. Pakistani’s are Greedy and Self served means its Ok for themself but its bad if some one else is receiver.Lets not compare an Illitrate Nation with USA’s law.