Swiss accounts: government complacently causing delay
Although the Swiss authorities are poised to initiate formal talks for the return of the plundered money, the Pakistani government remains dilatory to sign a formal agreement for the purpose; it was learnt here on Saturday.
Sources said that government in order to avoid face-off with Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) stopped concerned officials to initiate formal talks with Swiss authorities for the return of an estimated US $200 billion.
Sources said that after the amendments made in Swiss laws, the government had earlier decided to take up issues related to avoidance of double taxation and return of the plundered money with Swiss authorities.
For the purpose, the meeting was scheduled with Swiss authorities and Pakistani officials went to Geneva last August but this meeting did not yield fruits.
They said that government had reportedly stopped high officials from FBR and ministry of Finance for the said meeting, who were supposed to fly with the delegation to sign formal agreements – avoidance of double taxation treaty and return of the plundered money -with Swiss authorities.
Now the government in the wake of ‘Dharna Convention’ announced by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf is dilly-dallying to complete the due process for initiating formal talks with Swiss authorities.
When contacted, official sources, who were involved in this process, on a condition of anonymity confirmed that a legal framework had been finalised last year for formal arrangements to get all plundered money back from Switzerland but it couldn’t have been materialised during the last Geneva visit.
They said that Swiss authorities after amending their laws were ready to sign formal treaties with Pakistan related to the return of the plundered and avoidance of double taxation. However, the Nawaz-led government remains dilatory to give a go-ahead to its concerned officials. The sources said that this indifference shown by the incumbent government over the issue was intended to avoid confrontation with PPP during the present situation. Sources hoped that formal talks between both Pakistan and Swiss authorities over the said issue may be delayed further.
