The Supreme Court (SC) was on Monday informed that an amount of Rs 270.25 million had been recovered during the last month and Rs 17 million would be recovered during the current month.
“The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) provided us data of 895 individuals, out which 16 had availed previous government’s tax amnesty scheme,” an FBR official told a three-member bench led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar during the hearing of a suo motu case pertaining to foreign properties owned by Pakistani nationals. He further said that Rs 340 million have so far been recovered while the recovery of another Rs 768 million is expected.
Unsatisfied by the FBR’s slow performance, the chief justice remarked that it had been a year to the tax amnesty scheme. “You have all the data; you should have taken action within hours,” he said, adding that the matter would never have been taken up if the court had not taken notice.
When the FBR official informed the apex court that 125 individuals failed to appear before the investigation team, the chief justice warned to seize their properties. He also asked for an estimated amount which will be recovered, to which the FBR official said the board expects to recover around Rs 1 billion.
The bench wrapped up the proceedings by adjourning the hearing for a month and directing FBR to submit a report.
The case will be heard after a month.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum, who is named as one of the benamidars of a property in the United Arab Emirates, was also present in the court for hearing. The court had ordered Khanum to appear in person.
Talking to the media after the hearing, Khanum regretted that people were poking fun at “the machines that employ hundreds and thousands of people”. “You can check [my] wealth statement, I have earned for myself after working for 20 years,” she claimed.
Published in Daily Times, January 15th 2019.
