Over 50% Pakistani Bureaucrats Have Bought Properties in Portugal: Defence Minister

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has made serious allegations against Pakistan’s bureaucracy, claiming that more than half of the country’s bureaucrats have purchased properties in Portugal and are in the process of acquiring foreign citizenship to eventually settle abroad.

In a post shared on social media platform X, Asif stated that a large number of high-ranking government officials are preparing to retire outside Pakistan, using wealth accumulated through alleged corrupt practices. He further claimed that one bureaucrat, reportedly close to former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, was given Rs. 4 billion in “salami” (monetary gifts) at his daughter’s wedding.

The minister highlighted what he sees as an imbalance in public perception, pointing out that politicians are frequently blamed for corruption, despite having comparatively fewer assets and no foreign citizenships. Bureaucrats, he said, are rarely scrutinized in the same way, even though their actions have a more lasting impact on the country.

Asif termed the situation “shameful,” and accused members of the civil bureaucracy of contributing significantly to Pakistan’s economic and administrative decline.