FBR identifies 12 benami assets worth Rs16b

Anti-Benami Directorate General collects evidence against some politicians

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board Revenue’s (FBR) Anti-Benami Directorate General has identified 12 more benami properties worth over Rs16 billion and will file references against those believed to be their indirect owners next week.

It has also collected evidence against over a half a dozen politicians who allegedly own undeclared assets and references against them will be filed in the next 15 days.

Overall, 590 such cases are under investigation across the country. Efforts are under way to identify 231 beneficial owners of 727 benami assets worth over Rs62 billion. Earlier, 22 references have been filed across the country.

Dr Bashirullah Khan Marwat, the director general of Anti-Benami Initiative, has written a letter to the FBR headquarters giving details about the progress achieved so far.

According to the letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, three zones operating under the directorate general have traced 12 more undeclared properties in the country.

The official also wrote in the letter that 28,600 kanals of undeclared properties in 13 cities of Punjab including Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chiniot, Khushab, Multan, Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib, Sahiwal, Toba Tek Singh, Pakpattan, Gujrat, Hafizabad and Lahore worth over Rs73 billion had been traced.

He also complained that officials in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were not cooperating with directorate in identifying benami assets in the province.

Dr Marwat informed the FBR headquarters that he would soon take up the matter with the K-P chief secretary.

He stated that not many cases had been identified by the district revenue authorities in Sindh and most inquiries were conducted on the basis of individual complaints received through the Citizens Portal or in case the directorate’s Karachi zone received a copy of an identity card that provided some information.

The Karachi zone is trying to gather as much data as possible from the district administration in Sindh

The acquisition of the required data is essential to trace undeclared assets because without mutation deeds, individuals, sell deeds, settlement records, and other related information, it is difficult to prove which properties fell under the category of benami assets.

Dr Marwat also informed the headquarters about difficulties being faced by the directorate in collecting information and evidence against owners of benami assets because of a shortage of manpower and resources.

The letter further read 140 undeclared assets worth over Rs30 billion across the country had been temporarily frozen by the directorate’s zones.