Pakistan

Imran’s tax history comes under scrutiny

FBR says it will initiate appropriate legal proceedings against PTI chief if any actionable discrepancy is found

Hasnaat Malik November 25, 2016

FBR says it will initiate appropriate legal proceedings against PTI chief if any actionable discrepancy is found. PHOTO: REUTERS

ISLAMABAD: In a move to keep thorn-in-the-government-flesh opposition leader Imran Khan at bay, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has begun scrutinising his tax history.

Submitting a reply on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) constitutional petition, the FBR told the Supreme Court that it was verifying the petitioner’s (PML-N) claims against Imran Khan regarding tax evasion.

Nawaz, Imran paid less tax in 2015 than previous year

The FBR in its reply also stated that if it found any actionable discrepancy, it would initiate appropriate legal proceedings against the PTI chief.

PTI lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain cast doubts over FBR’s independence, contending that all such departments were politicised by the rulers and the government was trying to compel Imran Khan to back out of the Panamagate issue. “Such tactics will not work on Imran Khan,” he asserted.

PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi – who lost NA-56 Rawalpindi seat to Imran – had filed a constitutional petition, seeking to disqualify Imran Khan for concealing his sources of income. The petition was filed on his behalf by Akram Sheikh.

The FBR maintained that it had started the verification process on information provided by the petitioner.

Sharif family laundered Rs145m to evade taxes, claims Imran

Regarding the ownership of offshore company, the FBR also informed the SC that it issued a notice to Imran Khan under Section 176 of the ITO, 2001 on September 2.

The FBR rejected the petitioner’s allegation that the FBR was failing to discharge its duty in accordance with the law in alleged financial irregularities and misconduct by Imran Khan, adding that the petitioner’s allegations were incorrect.

Legal provisions and mechanism for probing such financial issues / matters were provided in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and relevant rules and regulations, FBR was quoted in its reply to the SC as saying.

Earlier, the FBR told the Supreme Court that only 133 of 336 individuals responded to notices it served on them.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (13)

qbc | 8 years ago | Reply I supports no party in pakistan but IK only paid 74,000 pkr last year in tax i pay more than that in 1 month. Also Ik is at least over a thousand times richer than me. Thats all i am saying.

JKhan | 8 years ago | Reply @Haji Atiya: you are a transgender, at least that is what your name suggests. You seem to be also a jilted lover of IK.

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Javed Mirani | 8 years ago | Reply @Humza: Is FBR are in charge of collecting tax for UK. So things to learn

azmat shah | 8 years ago | Reply @Humza: "avoided paying tax in the UK", what's wrong with that? You need to understand the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. I live in the UK and there are hundreds of accountancy firms that earn their living by telling you how to get away legally with paying as little tax as possible. That is called tax avoidance or tax management within the ambit of the law. What your Mr Clean Shareef has been indulging in and is accused of is money laundering with little, no or dubious record of how money was transferred from one country to the other. In the UK he can be sentenced for life if found guilty, worse then rape I suppose.

Xnain | 8 years ago | Reply @a&a: How is it a blackmail if Imran's record is clean?

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply @Humza: It has been instilled in IK's head since the get-go that he is God's gift to mankind, especially mankind of Pakistan. So why should earthly matters like tax accountability and parental responsibility apply to his 'royal highness' ?

Muzaffar | 8 years ago | Reply Democracy in Pakistan

Humza | 8 years ago | Reply @Saleem: Everyone's tax returns should be scrutinized and their behavior scrutinized too. Imran Khan has an overseas account and avoided paying tax in the UK and this needs to be investigated as much as any other politician. Also he needs to explain why he did not appear in US courts when asked to by law over a child he allegedly fathered with Sita White. The law applies to everyone and no one should be checked first or second or whatever.

TBS | 8 years ago | Reply If IK has evaded tax by all means throw the book at him and take him to task. But what about the ruling elite. Every child in Pakistan knows abut their massive corruption and tax evasion but will the FBR bother to investigate them? No. Because FBR is a politicized organ of state and will do its utmost to protect the ruling elite.

Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply FBR could not scrutinize ruling family of PM tax returns but in IK case they will scrutinize his whole tax history. IK is right because FBR is politicized like NAB,SECP & other institutions.

JKhan | 8 years ago | Reply The most demeaning feature of this petition is that a convict has launched it which would greatly be of help to the PTI Chief.

Saleem | 8 years ago | Reply First scrutinise ruling family's tax returns. That's the fairer way to go about it.

a&a | 8 years ago | Reply Looks like black mailing......

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