Leak Reveals Pakistani Generals Stashed Billions of Dollars in a Swiss Bank

Ex-ISI chief General Akhtar Abdur Khan funnelled billions of dollars to the mujahideen during Soviet-Afghan war

4.42 million Swiss francs was revealed to be the average maximum balance in accounts held by Pakistanis, as per a report.

(Photo: iStock)

A leak from one of the world's biggest private banks, Credit Suisse, exposed information of about 600 accounts, totalling billions of dollars, which are linked to at 1,400 Pakistani citizens, as per media reports cited by news agency ANI.

Accounts held by Pakistanis had an average maximum balance of 4.42 million Swiss francs, reported The News International newspaper.

Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan is among the key politicians and generals named as account holders, according to leaked data by the Swiss bank.

Khan funnelled billions of dollars in cash and other aid from the United States (US) and other countries to the mujahideen in Afghanistan during the Soviet-Afghan war (1979-89), as per a report published in New York Times, according to ANI.

The Saudi Arabian and US funding was received in the American Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Swiss bank account, as per a report published by the Dawn newspaper, which cited an Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) report.

Quoting the OCCRP report, the Pakistani publication reported,

"The end recipient in the process was Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group (ISI), [at the time] led by Akhtar.”

Dawn newspaper stated that several politicians didn't mention these accounts in the Swiss bank at the time when they were holders of public office.

(With inputs from ANI.)