Anjum Dar lied about his relation with Nawaz Sharif: Broadsheet CEO Kaveh Moussavi

• Broadsheet CEO says their investigation shows that Anjum Dar had lied about his relation to Nawaz Sharif. 
• Broadsheet CEO says Anjum Dar is a hassler.
• Anjum Dar made headlines last year after claiming he had offered $25 million to stop investigating Nawaz Sharif.

LONDON: Asset recovery company Broadsheet’s CEO Kaveh Moussavi revealed on Thursday that his investigations showed that German-Pakistani Anjum Dar had no relation with Nawaz Sharif, adding that he was not sent by the former prime minister in 2012 to offer a bribe of $25 million to end probe against the Sharif family.

After apologising to Nawaz in an exclusive interview earlier this week with Geo News, Moussavi further revealed today that Broadsheet’s investigation has now established that the person who claimed to be a nephew of Nawaz was lying and had no links with the PML-N supremo.

However, it is confirmed that Dar had met the Broadsheet CEO once in Germany and twice in London offering to get the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to settle the company’s full claim of around $500 million at the time in exchange for a commission of around $25 million.

Speaking about Dar and withdrawing his claim, Moussavi said: “He (Anjum Dar) was nothing of that sort. He was a hassler. He lied that Nawaz would offer us money if we settle the case, end the investigation and go away. He was a complete liar. He was a hassler who was here to work both ends of the street.”

Moussavi said that he was aware that he will be threatened and there will be consequences for apologising to Nawaz and withdrawing all corruption allegations. However, he believes that it was his “moral duty” to disclose facts in full that Nawaz was not involved in corruption.

“I owe it to the people of Pakistan to tell what the truth is and this will cost me a lot,” said the Broadsheet CEO.

Last year in January, a tsunami erupted on Pakistan’s political scene when, soon after winning around $30 million from Pakistan, Moussavi had made headlines with the claim that a Pakistani named Anjum Dar had met him once in Germany and twice in London offering $25 million to stop investigating Nawaz.

Geo News had investigated the Broadsheet’s claim and tracked Dar to Germany. The contents of the investigation were published in The News and Geo News on February 21, 2021.

Anjum Dar had rejected the claim that he offered a $25 million bribe to Moussavi on behalf of Nawaz but he did confirm he was looking for commission and bragged up his credentials as someone close to the former prime minister’s family to impress the Broadsheet CEO.

Geo News had gone through the email trail between Dar and Moussavi which showed that the Pakistani-German had engaged with the Broadsheet at great lengths. The emails show that he had promised he can get the dispute resolved as long as he’s paid a commission for successfully negotiating $500 million from the Government of Pakistan. A London High Court awarded Moussavi over $30 million last year but his original claim was for nearly $500 million from Pakistan.

Last year pictures of Dar with Nawaz appeared in the media after Moussavi named the Pakistani German and these pictures were made in Jati Umra on August 30 2012 – around the time the two were in frequent contact. Email evidence shows that Dar had sent his three pictures with Nawaz to the asset recovery firm's CEO on September 3, 2012, from Lahore to show that he was close to the former premier.

Dar had said he was keen to work with Moussavi to see if his settlement could be reached with Pakistan.

Originally from Lahore, Dar has been living and working in Germany for over 40 years. At the end of 2011, Dar met Moussavi's cousin Bagher and then got in touch with the Broadsheet CEO with the proposal.

Several emails were exchanged between Dar and Moussavi and in one email the Pakistani-German had assured him that he was willing to take up this matter with someone in Pakistan if he could see some proof of assets recoveries, bank accounts, and other assets as he claimed to have found.

Moussavi and Dar met at the Hamburg Airport on July 28, 2012, where Moussavi gave Dar a list of “targets” containing around 136 names that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had provided to Broadsheet LCC and also showed him other material related to the investigation.

Dar had told Geo News that he had met Nawaz through a PML-N Punjab leader but did not discuss anything related to Broadsheet or NAB.

Talks between Dar and Moussavi broke down in 2013 when there was no progress in the resolution of the case as promised in exchange for his commission.