TPD Investigations Cell
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Minister Fesal Vawda owns 14 expensive properties worth around £32 million in London’s expensive Park Lane area under his own name – and nine of these properties have not been declared before the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The Pakistan Daily’s investigation desk has unearthed details of Fesal Vawda’s properties in the UK. They are as follows:
292, flat 2, Elgin Avenue, London, W9 1JS (£1.2 million)
Cambridge Square, London, W2 2PL (£2 million)
117 Quadrangle Tower, London, W2 2PJ (£1.2 million)
9 Water Gardens, Edgware Road, London, W2 2DA (£1.8 million)
118 The Water Gardens, London, W2 2DD (£1.8 million)
603 Park West, Edgware Road, London, W22RB (£1.3 million)
368 Park West, Edgware Road, London, W2 2QS (£1.3 million)
466 Park West, Edgware Road, London, W2 2QU (£1.2 million)
498 Park West, Edgware Road, London, W2 2QX (£1.4 million)
567 Park West, Edgware Road, London, W22RA (£1.4 million)
19-20 Hyde Park Place, Flat 4, London, W2 2LP (£2 million)
9 Water Gardens, London, W2 2DA (£1.8 million)
118 The Water Gardens, London, W2 2DD (£1.8 million)
24 Stourcliff Close, Stourcliff Road, London W1H 5AQ (£1.5 million)
Total price: £32 million
The PTI’s Federal Minister and lawmaker from Karachi accepts that he owns these lucrative properties but he has never declared these properties before the Pakistan authorities as he is in government and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has assured him that no action will be taken.
14 properties in London’s Park Lane make Fesal Vawda the only Pakistani who owns so much wealth in London yet no institution of Pakistan – judiciary, parliament, military, government – has asked him how he made this wealth.
Other than 14 properties in London, the Minister for Water Resources Fesal Vawda also owns undeclared properties in Dubai and Malaysia. He also has separate business investments in London and Dubai with his business partner Fahad Sultan and their partner Indian national Aditya Chopra. Pakistan Election Commission has confirmed that Fesal Vawda – also called Faisal Vawda – has not declared any of his investments in Pakistan. He also owns three properties in name of his second wife. He purchased a flat in Par Lane area for his daughter from the first marriage who is a student in London.
Records available with The Daily Pakistan show that Vawda purchased these properties in London between 2007 and 2016.
The UK’s Land Registry has provided all records of Fesal Vawda held under his name but a spokesman said that it cannot give details of any properties held under different names. Some of these properties were shifted to names of other people but UK Land Registry provided all historical proofs. Fahad Sultan has been dealing with these properties. In an interview, Fahad Sultan has said that he’s business partner of Fesal Vawda and he has done nothing wrong.
“I can confirm that Fesal Vawda owns 14 properties and has other investments in London. Everything we are doing is legal. If the UK government has no problem then why Pakistani media is kicking up a storm. I have nothing to do with Fesal Vawda’s politics in Pakistan and if he has not declared these properties in Pakistan than it’s a problem between Vawda and Pakistani institutions,” Fahd Sultan Ahmed said.
Fahd Sultan, (DOB 14 May 1977) was earlier subject to scrutiny after his name was placed in the Exit Control List in Pakistan in 2019. He deals with properties in Park Lane. Previously, it was reported that Mr Sultan had acquired a Diplomatic passport in Grenada.
In 2018, Vawda declared some properties outside Pakistan worth Rs18 Crore but he has not explained whether he took advantage of whitening of black money scheme (Tax Amnesty Scheme 2018) or without it.
In an interview with media, Vawda had admitted the ownership of five UK properties which are declared in his nomination papers and he claimed that these properties were purchased through legal means of income without giving any details of sources of his income.
Several political parties in 2018 asked the former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar to take suo moto notice of Fesal Vawda’s properties but instead Saqib Nisar invited Fesal Vawda to his home and made pictures with him to send a message to media that no action will be taken against the PTI politician.
“Vawda has not given details of how he purchase his properties in London, how he transferred money to London and Dubai, who provided him funds, how the money left Pakistan whether though cash or banking transfer, how money for 14 properties were arranged and what guarantees were provided to the banks.
Tax record proves Vawda is a perfect case of alleged money laundering, assets beyond means and tax evasion. His declared income doesn’t justify his assets as the inflows reflected in his tax returns are so meagre that one cannot even buy a single flat in Pakistan let alone over a dozen properties in swanky areas of London. Vawda’s tax record also doesn’t reflect any amount sent outside Pakistan. This shows he laundered the money to buy flats in UK and other countries through illegal channels,” A tax expert opined after analysing complete tax record of Vawda.
The tax expert said: “If it is true that Vawda has been resident of Pakistan from 2010 till to date then he is bound to pay his taxes on his worldwide income regardless of where it is received. He is bound to declare his worldwide properties in his tax returns but he concealed it and cheated the tax authorities.”
Vawda was registered as a tax payer in Pakistan in 2004. However, his online tax record from 2007 to 2013 shows zero income tax. In September, it was revealed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that Fesal Vawda paid no income tax in 2018.
