Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday took to twitter to share her thoughts on Panama Papers controversy.
Panama is crap. Trashed in the rest of the world. Those relying on it to bring down NS wil bite the dust Insha’Allah https://t.co/j17LCdlfvV
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 2, 2017
She had proceeded by calling the Panama Papers scandal, which rocked some of the most powerful public office holders around the world, “crap”.
Panama papers were never about corruption. Even the stealers & hackers (read originators) didn’t say it was. Losers in imminent danger 1/2
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 2, 2017
She doubled down on that statement by tweeting that the scandal was “never about corruption”.
Unexpectedly, Bastian Obermayer — a Pulitzer-winning journalist from German publication Süddeutsche Zeitung who was the first to receive the Panama Papers and who eventually took the lead in breaking the story internationally — stepped in at that point to set the record straight.
Sorry to tell you: #panamapapers ARE about #corruption. We found an astonishing number of corruption cases in the documents – and all real. https://t.co/iC6zpoG4DU
— Bastian Obermayer (@b_obermayer) May 2, 2017
“Sorry to tell you,” he said, “but the Panama papers ARE about corruption.”
Maryam retorted saying that the “misery of the journalists” who broke the Panama story “is understandable”.
The misery of journalists who broke the Panama story is understandable. Their overt & covert efforts to bring the govt down came to a naught
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 2, 2017
She also expressed “regret” over what she alleged was a “nexus” between the Panama Papers journalists and their “Pakistani counterparts” and said it was “sad that they became a part of conspiracy against Pakistan”.
Don’t want 2say much abt nexus bet u & yr Pak counterparts but sad that they bcame a part of conspiracy against Pak. https://t.co/HQANc2lvWT
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) May 2, 2017
Obermayer responded by giving her some perspective on what journalism is about and what the scope of the Panama Papers actually was:
Journalism isn’t about bringing down a govrnmt. It’s about telling the truth. Like it or not. (& #panamapapers isn’t only abt Pakistan, btw) https://t.co/u6XzgZjjce
— Bastian Obermayer (@b_obermayer) May 2, 2017
Minutes later, Frederik Obermaier, another Pulitzer-winning journalist who worked on the Panama Papers and who co-authored the authoritative book on the international scandal with Bastian Obermayer, joined the conversation.
He reminded Maryam that the scandal had not been as inconsequential as she believed.
Trashed in the rest of the world? ICYMI: ~150 investigations, audits & investigations #PanamaPapers in ~80 countries https://t.co/wUVbDrL0NP https://t.co/1Xx1a6ueC4
— Frederik Obermaier (@f_obermaier) May 2, 2017
The conversation eventually subsided after Maryam Nawaz stopped tweeting.
