The public at large is discussing Vanuatu, a little-known country, which a dubious news released by “sources” of an investigation agency alleges that Farhat Shahzadi used to travel abroad. The passport of Vanuatu facilitates the holders to travel to 99 countries without visa restrictions.
Farhat Shahzadi has been in the limelight since Imran Khan came into power and she was dubbed as the front person of Bushra Bibi, the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman’s wife. In March, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a money-laundering and kickbacks case against Farhat Shahzadi. The investigation agency had registered a case of Rs849 million against her after the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) referred the inquiry to the investigation.
The news chunks released from time to time show Farhat Shahzadi’s declared and non-declared assets stood at Rs4.52 billion in 2020 when the Khan-led party was in power. Her bank accounts are stacked with over Rs14 billion, revealed government sources this week.
The FIA did not say it on record but the media reports said that Farhat Shahzadi used to travel abroad on the passport of Vanuatu, a string of more than 80 islands once known as the New Hebrides and it is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, to launder the illicit money.
If it is true, here are guidelines for getting a passport from Vanuatu. According to online information, Vanuatu is an independent Commonwealth state located in the South Pacific, comprising 83 islands. The Vanuatu economy relies on agriculture, tourism, offshore financial services, and the cattle industry. Its CBI programme means Vanuatu has cleared its debt and become a profitable jurisdiction.
Investing in a second passport for Vanuatu allows individuals to travel visa-free to over 99 countries, including the UK.
Vanuatu has been a long-standing tax-friendly country with no personal income tax, capital gains, or withholding tax. The Vanuatu citizenship-by-investment programme has one of the most simplified and efficient application processes, with applications processed in as little as two months. One can get a passport by investing $130,000.
