Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi praises India for supporting businessmen

Lahore: Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has praised India, noting that it supports its businessmen, which he cites as one of the reasons for the country's progress, unlike in the cash-strapped nation where they are labelled as 'thieves'.

"One of the reasons India is progressing is it supports its businessmen, while in Pakistan if a businessman progresses, he is labelled as a thief," Naqvi told journalists here on Thursday.

He further emphasised that businessmen in India are respected, whereas in Pakistan, those who make some progress are tagged as 'thieves'.

Naqvi was speaking about the Dubai Leaks, which revealed an astounding volume of leaked property data, listing over 23,000 properties belonging to 17,000 Pakistani nationals as of spring 2022.

According to data gathered by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Naqvi’s wife is listed as an owner of a high-value property in Dubai in the Dubai Leaks.

Prominent names with high-value properties in Dubai include the children of President Asif Ali Zardari -- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari; former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif's son Hussain Nawaz'; former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's son Saad Siddique Bajwa; Senator Faisal Vawda; Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon; and dozens of retired army officers.

"Being a businessman, I will invest my money where I like," Naqvi said, disclosing that his wife also has a property in London. “Tax has been paid on my wife's properties abroad,” he claimed.

"There is no illegality in investing abroad. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) should investigate those who acquired offshore properties illegally," he said, noting that is aware of many media houses with properties in Dubai.

Naqvi and others whose names appear in Dubai Leaks have been facing severe criticism on social media, with many questioning how foreign countries will invest in Pakistan when its super elites have stashed their money abroad.