ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) cabinet, Fesal Vawda owns 14 expensive properties valued at more than £32 million in central London’s most expensive Park Lane and Edgware Road area under his real name. Out of 14 properties, the PTI minister has never declared nine of his properties before the Election Commission of Pakistan or any other authority.
An investigation by Baaghi TV shows that Fesal Vawda – who is also known as Faisal Vawda – owns almost 7 billion Rupees worth of assets in London. We are publishing full details of these properties along with the UK Land Registry.
The properties owned by Vawda 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 has never declared these properties before the Pakistan authorities. Interestingly, Fesal Vawda’s properties are located in the close neighbourhood of Hassan Nawaz Sharif’s office and Avenfield Apartments.
Properties owned by Fesal Vawda, Hasan Nawaz, Aleem Khan, Zulfi Bukhari, Aneel Musarrat, Pervez Musharraf, Rehman Malik, Shahbaz Sharif, Major General (retired) Akbar are within a square mile, and all of them are neighbours.
The Minister for Water Resources Fesal Vawda also owns undeclared properties in Dubai and Malaysia, according to our investigation. Fesal Vawda’s business partner is Fahad Sultan Ahmed whose real estate empire in UK and Dubai is managed by Anil Desai, an Indian national linked with the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Besides managing properties of Fesal Vawda, Fahad Sultan Ahmed also manages properties of PPP leader Sherjeel Memon and two children of Khawaja Naveed Ahmed, the Supreme Court of Pakistan lawyer.
Some of these properties were shifted to names of other people but the UK Land Registry provided all historical proofs. Fahad Sultan has been dealing with these properties on behalf of Fesal Vawda and his second wife Nazli Vawda. In an interview, Fahad Sultan has said that he’s a business partner of Fesal Vawda and 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 Fahad Sultan had acquired a Diplomatic passport in Grenada.
Pakistan Election Commission has confirmed that Fesal Vawda has not declared any of his investments in Pakistan or the London properties record of which has been circulating on social media. Fesal Vawda has confirmed that he owns 14 properties. Records show that he purchased these properties in London between 2007 and 2016. He confirms the ownership and says these are his legal properties.
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 2020, it was revealed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that Fesal Vawda paid no income tax in 2018.
Only in 2018, without giving any details, Vawda has declared some properties outside Pakistan worth Rs18 Crore. However, Vawda remained hesitant to clarify whether these properties declared only in 2018 have been declared by taking advantage of whitening of black money scheme (Tax Amnesty Scheme 2018) or without it.
As he has mentioned only ‘assets held outside Pakistan’ without giving details of these foreign properties, so it is also not clear whether he is declaring only five UK properties or his Dubai and Malaysian flats have also been declared in his 2018 wealth statement. (The five UK properties and flats in Dubai and Malaysia have been mentioned in his nomination papers for 2018 elections).
In an earlier interview with media, Vawda had admitted the ownership of five UK properties which are declared in his nomination papers. He claimed that these properties were purchased through legal means of income without giving any details of sources of his income. He has refused to answer questions about the nine properties. He accepts owning these properties but shies away from answering questions or providing money trail.
Now coming to the hidden nine London properties which Vawda owns but did not declare;
i)– Title No. NGL 361763, Flat 603, Park West, Edgware Road, London W2 2RB
The UK Land registry office document shows Vawda purchased this property in 2007.
ii)– Title No. NGL 403293, Flat 466, Park West, Edgware Road, London W2 2QU
The UK Land registry document shows that Vawda bought this flat on July 23, 2007.
iii)– Title No. NGL 382324, Flat 368, Park West, Edgware Road, London W2 2QS
The official documents of UK Land Registry office shows that Vawda purchased this flat on September 26, 2007.
iv)– Title No. NGL 400830, Flat 489, Park West, Edgware Road, London, W2 2QS
The UK Land Registry office’s official documents reveal that Vawda purchased this property on March 05, 2008.
v)– Title No. NGL 371378, Flat 567, Park West, Edgware Road, London, W22RA
The official documents obtained from UK Land Registry office reveal that Vawda bought this flat on September 25, 2007.
vi)– Title No. NGL 773727, Flat 24, Stourcliffe Close, Stourcliffe Street, London W1H 5AQ
According to UK land registry document, Vawda bought this flat on 13 Sept 2007.
vii)-Title No. NGL 946951, 9 Water Gardens, Stanmore HA73 Q1
As per the UK land registry documents, Vawda owned this property in November 2014.
viii)– Title No. NGL 947677, 118 The Water Gardens London, W2 2DD
The UK Land Registry office’s documents shows that Vawda owned this property in December 2014.
ix)– Title No. NGL 948683, Flat 128 Quadrangle Tower, Cambridge Square, London W2 2PL
According to UK Land Registry documents, Vawda owned this property on January 27, 2015.
Baaghi TV repeatedly contacted Federal Minister Faisal Vawda to take a statement on this story, but Faisal Vawda did not receive the call. The Federal Minister did not even respond to the message sent for the story by Baaghi TV. If Federal Minister Faisal Vawda wants to give his position, Baaghi TV will broadcast it.
Faisal Vawda & London Properties: How much is the PTI Minister worth?
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