LAHORE/NEW YORK/PORT-VILA (The Thursday Times) — Following an investigation by The Thursday Times, new exclusive documents acquired by TT substantiate claims that Farhat Shahzadi, a key associate of Pakistan’s PTI party and a fugitive, has acquired a Vanuatu passport under questionable circumstances. Shahzadi, who also operates under the moniker Farah Gogi, is currently embroiled in a high-stakes game of evasion from international law enforcement agencies. The utilisation of a Vanuatu passport to obscure her global movements is a critical aspect of this saga, as indicated by sources close to The Thursday Times.
According to new exclusive documents acquired by The Thursday Times, delving deep into financial manoeuvers, revealed that Ms Shahzadi, from her base in the prestigious DHA Phase-III area of Lahore, initiated a significant financial transaction amounting to AU$132,415 in Australian Dollars from her Silkbank account to the ANZ Bank of Vanuatu, as per the documents dated November 16, 2021. The Silkbank account used to transfer the amount was registered in Karachi; the ANZ one in Port-Vila. Facilitated through a Chase bank in New York, this transaction carried the notable description of an ‘Immigration Fee,’ hinting at its purpose in Ms Shahzadi’s citizenship acquisition process.
The Thursday Times has further acquired additional exclusive documents implicating Stanson Consultants, a Port-Vila-based immigration firm known for its expertise in citizenship-by-investment schemes. A detailed invoice from Stanson Consultants, dated November 13, 2021, reveals the intricacies of the procurement of three passports for Shahzadi, alongside Amil Eman Iqbal and Jamil Faraz Iqbal, collectively referred to as a ‘family of three.’ The total cost incurred by this trio for the acquisition of three Vanuatu passports was US$181,400 in U.S. Dollars, with US$180,000 of this sum earmarked as fees directly payable to the Vanuatu Government. The remaining US$1,400 was attributed to various banking charges.
The nature of Ms Shahzadi’s status as a rogue fugitive originates from her alleged involvement in aiding the incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan. A pivotal element of this investigation is her alleged role in the clandestine sale of an extravagantly valuable Graff watch, a gift to the PTI supremo Imran Khan from the Saudi royal family, with an estimated value running into several million U.S. dollars.
A previous probe by The Thursday Times into Ms Shahzadi’s alleged Vanuatu passport uncovered a number of discrepancies, questioning the legitimacy of images of the passport surfacing on social media. A glaring inconsistency was noted in the ‘place of birth’ section of Shahzadi’s passport.
According to these exclusive documents, and sources familiar to The Thursday Times, Shahzadi, who has been a central figure in the political and financial controversies surrounding Khan and his wife, the former first lady Bushra Maneka (also known as Bushra Bibi), has been utilising her Vanuatu passport which she purchased in 2021 for international travel, a strategy that is to have assisted her efforts to evade questioning by Interpol. Vanuatu’s citizenship-by-investment program is known for its expedited process, with initial application approvals typically concluded within a mere 12-week timeframe, making it a favorable option for individuals seeking rapid citizenship options.
This aspect of Vanuatu’s citizenship policy has been critical in Shahzadi’s strategy, allowing her swift mobility across international borders. Her last confirmed location, according to sources close to Interpol, was Italy.
