Over the past few decades, Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, has grown in popularity as a travel and investment destination. The emirate has worked hard to project an air of grandeur and elegance over time, positioning itself as a “world-class business hub.“
Therefore, it was not shocking that Dubai had become popular on social media in recent days. But this time, it had nothing to do with flash and glamour.
A staggering amount of confidential real estate information from Dubai was released to the public on May 14. Among the properties indicated as belonging to Pakistani people were over 23,000. These consist of politicians, ex-soldiers, bankers, and government employees.
The “Dubai Unlocked” data dump offered a thorough summary of the emirate’s hundreds of thousands of properties as well as details about who owns or uses them, mostly from 2020 and 2022. The Center for Advanced Defence Studies (C4ADS), a non-profit organization that studies international crime and conflict with headquarters in Washington, DC, acquired it.
Then, it was shared with the Norwegian financial publication E24 and the Organization for Crime and Corruption Reporting initiative (OCCRP), who organized an international investigative initiative involving Dawn and other media outlets.
Pakistanis possess a variety of real estate in Dubai, from studio flats and business spaces to whole buildings and six-bedroom villas in some of the priciest neighborhoods, such as Business Bay, Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Dubai Marina, and Al Barsha.
The stolen data presents a contradictory picture even though it does not prove financial crime or tax fraud on its own. The data makes clear that Pakistan, a nation that is struggling to make ends meet and is actively looking for assistance from international lenders as well as other nations, is a major component.
But as these conversations go on, questions inevitably arise. Dawn.com requested tax expert lawyer Ali Javed Darugar to elucidate the meaning of the data and its ramifications for the law. This is what he said:
