Daily Times

Sir: Offshore bank accounts, like the ones mentioned in Panama Leaks, are used by people from around the world to hide their wealth. This practice has been followed for many decades and although off-shore accounts are legal, but since there are no international laws available that allow the checking of such off-shore accounts by tax authorities of different countries, therefore these off-shore accounts are used to avoid paying local taxes, which is illegal.

Now in a dramatic turn of events, a hacker has leaked out the documentary evidence of many off-shore accounts of just one bank in Panama. And for the first time, the tax collecting authorities around the globe are privy to bank documents showing secret hidden untaxed savings of many influential persons. Many countries have taken the initiative to use this evidence in prosecuting their citizens that were found to have not paid taxes.

Unfortunately in Pakistan, we have not taken any action against any of these tax dodgers. In fact in Pakistan the same Parliament that had taken only one day to approve their own salary increase, have failed to take any action against the tax dodgers of Panama leaks. In fact in a strange turn of events the government is more concerned about creating new laws and agreements with foreign countries to get more off-shore bank account details, while failing to take action on the off-shore accounts that have already been exposed through Panama Leaks.

We the people and tax payers of Pakistan have been witness to the inaction of Parliament and tax authorities in the past two months, against tax dodgers whose account details have been published online via Panama Leaks with all relevant dates and signatures. And although we, the people of Pakistan, cannot do much against corrupt politicians, we can all request the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and IMF to stop loan payments to the Government of Pakistan, until the tax dodgers mentioned in Panama leaks are all punished and the relevant taxes and fines recovered from them.

SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER

Peshawar