Neither Britain Nor America – Half Of Pakistan’s Bureaucrats Bought Land In This Small Country With ‘Illicit’ Money

Property records reveal a surprising foreign hotspot for Pakistan’s elite officials, raising questions over the source of their wealth.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif (File photo: X/@MEMRIReports)

New Delhi: Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stirred controversy with a social media post that targets the country’s top bureaucracy. He claimed that more than half of Pakistan’s most senior civil servants have purchased property abroad using money moved out of the country, often during their time in powerful government positions.

According to him, these real estate investments were not made in traditional destinations like the United States or the United Kingdom. Instead, many officials bought land in Portugal, a relatively small European nation.

He alleged that a growing number are now working to secure Portuguese citizenship, with some having already obtained it.

Government records indicate that roughly 3,000 Pakistanis acquired Portuguese citizenship between 2016 and 2024.

Asif said many of these individuals served in high-ranking posts and “made billions” during their tenure, only to plan for a “peaceful retired life” abroad.

Offering one example, the minister pointed to a senior officer, reportedly close to former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, who allegedly amassed around 4 billion Pakistani rupees in “salami” (cash gifts) during his daughters’ weddings. That officer, Asif said, is now comfortably settled overseas.

In a jab at the political class, the minister said that unlike bureaucrats, politicians “do not own plots or hold foreign citizenship” and only get “leftovers” because they must contest elections, which limit their ability to enjoy such privileges.