Vawda blasts FBR over 'mala fide raids'

ISLAMABAD:

Blasting the tax body's alleged misuse of funds and lavish car purchases, Senator Faisal Vawda has alleged that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has led unprecedented raids on certain motor manufacturers to conceal the true scandal.

Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, Vawda slammed the FBR's actions, saying that not only were raids conducted, but search warrants were also hastily issued.

"Were drugs or weapons found there? Was human trafficking occurring, or were anti-Pakistan activities taking place?" he questioned.

He further alleged that once documents about these raids came into his possession, efforts were made to cover up the matter by conducting additional raids elsewhere.

Expressing frustration over the practice, he said that this was why individuals refrain from standing up against such activities, but instead become part of the mafia. "They are 'untouchable', they carry out raids, take revenge and create fake cases."

He further claimed that FBR, despite its responsibility to generate revenue, failed to meet its target of Rs384 billion in taxes. He noted that a summary was approved by the Cabinet which included hefty bonuses for FBR employees—ranging from four bonuses for category one staff to two bonuses for category three employees—but this section was ignored by the Cabinet.

"The implementation of this summary and the distribution of bonuses will soon start, and the national treasury will be looted through these bonuses," Vawda warned.

Earlier, Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif assured the Senate that the government was taking concrete measures to address the operational challenges faced by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), including the temporary suspension of flights to destinations like Chitral and Larkana, exacerbated by harsh weather conditions and a shortage of ATR aircraft.

Later, the Senate approved amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2012, formally omitting the term FATA, as the region has already been constitutionally merged into Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.