Financial data: Of defaults and taxes
Data collected by ECP reveals politicians’ financial details.
Utility service providing companies were asked to provide lists of defaulters of Rs10,000 and above to the scrutiny officers.
ISLAMABAD:
While returning officers (ROs) focused on giving impromptu Islamiat tests, they may have let known defaulters slip through the scrutiny process.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) provided the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with information regarding every single candidate, which was meant to help the commission determine their eligibility.
The ECP had sought details of overdue/written off amounts of Rs2 million and above for the last one year from the SBP for every candidate. The FBR and NAB were also asked to check the tax and criminal histories of aspiring contestants. Utility service providing companies were asked to provide lists of defaulters of Rs10,000 and above to the scrutiny officers.
The list of defaulters of The Bank of Punjab shows that Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, who is contesting the elections from Multan, tops the list with a default of Rs25.092 million.
Bosan, who contested the 2008 elections on a PML-Q ticket, had defected to the PTI, but with the elections drawing close, he has reportedly established contacts with another party.
PPP’s Muhammad Tariq Tarar, who won the 2008 elections from Mandi Bahauddin and is again contesting from the same constituency, has also defaulted on a loan of Rs6.117 million.
These few defaulters may have slipped through the scrutiny net, but an examination of the data reveals interesting financial information about other contestants and politicians as well.
PPP’s Noor Alam Khan is the richest member of the outgoing National Assembly. He declared assets of Rs32 billion in addition to 200 tolas gold, two SUVs, and Rs1 million cash. His declared income in 2012 was Rs942,612, against which he paid Rs80,284 in taxes. That’s a step up from 2011, when he paid Rs67,479 and 2010 when he paid Rs47,077.
ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan also paid Rs47,077 in 2010 taxes and Rs80,284 in 2012. His assets in 2012 include inherited properties worth Rs7 million, a 24% share in a 72,000 dirham business in the UAE, a 1988 model Toyota, 50 tolas of gold, half a million rupees in prize bonds and close to Rs400,000 in the bank.
On the other hand, PTI’s Jahangir Khan Tareen, also among the richest politicians, paid Rs22.53 million tax in 2012 but also had three loans written off.
By contrast the FBR data also shows that Arbab Alamgir Khan, another billionaire of the outgoing assembly, paid Rs266,957 tax in 2012.
PTI’s Azam Khan Swati, running for NA-20 (Mansehra-I), is also considered to be very wealthy but, according to the FBR, hasn’t paid a single paisa in tax since 2010.
Ahmed Aziz Bilour, from the wealthy Bilour family, has submitted nomination papers from NA-1 (Peshawar-I) and has neither shown any income nor paid any tax since 2010.
Engineer Amir Muqam of the PML-N will be contesting elections from NA-31 (Shangla), and according to the FBR, has paid no tax in 2012 despite declaring an income of Rs38,000,000.
National Assembly’s former deputy speaker Faisal Karim Kundi from the PPP has declared possession of 2310 kanal farmland land in 2012, but has not paid any tax since 2010. That puts him in the same boat as his opponent Musarrat Shaheen who also hasn’t paid tax since 2010
Syed Ali Musa Gilani, the son of former PM Gilani has declared an income of Rs3.495 million but he paid zero tax in 2012.
PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is contesting the elections from NA-105 Gujrat and the FBR record shows he paid zero tax against the income of Rs 1,224,809 in 2011.
PML-N chief Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has improved his tax history, paying Rs2.01 million in 2010, Rs 2.13 million in 2011 and Rs2.207 million in 2012.
Shahbaz Sharif’s data shows that his income was Rs4.96 million in 2010, which increased to Rs22.18 million in 2011 and Rs24.18 million in 2012.
He paid Rs255,457, Rs2.0 million and Rs2.5 million respectively during these three years.
On the other hand the PML-N’s Abid Sher Ali paid Rs72,251 tax in 2011 but did not pay any tax in 2010 and 2012.
That’s something he has in common with PTI’s Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali who also didn’t pay any tax in 2012, despite declaring an income of Rs 2.5 million income in 2012.
His party chief Imran Khan’s declared income dropped sharply from Rs. 9.4 million in 2010, to Rs2.9 million in 2011 and then rose slightly to Rs3.5 million in 2012. . Imran paid Rs1.8 million, Rs308,608 and Rs267,440 in taxes respectively during these three years.
And finally, former president Pervez Musharraf made Rs1.38 million in 2010, Rs1.46 million in 2011 and Rs1.56 million in 2012. He has paid no taxes for the last three years.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2013.
While returning officers (ROs) focused on giving impromptu Islamiat tests, they may have let known defaulters slip through the scrutiny process.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) provided the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) with information regarding every single candidate, which was meant to help the commission determine their eligibility.
The ECP had sought details of overdue/written off amounts of Rs2 million and above for the last one year from the SBP for every candidate. The FBR and NAB were also asked to check the tax and criminal histories of aspiring contestants. Utility service providing companies were asked to provide lists of defaulters of Rs10,000 and above to the scrutiny officers.
The list of defaulters of The Bank of Punjab shows that Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, who is contesting the elections from Multan, tops the list with a default of Rs25.092 million.
Bosan, who contested the 2008 elections on a PML-Q ticket, had defected to the PTI, but with the elections drawing close, he has reportedly established contacts with another party.
PPP’s Muhammad Tariq Tarar, who won the 2008 elections from Mandi Bahauddin and is again contesting from the same constituency, has also defaulted on a loan of Rs6.117 million.
These few defaulters may have slipped through the scrutiny net, but an examination of the data reveals interesting financial information about other contestants and politicians as well.
PPP’s Noor Alam Khan is the richest member of the outgoing National Assembly. He declared assets of Rs32 billion in addition to 200 tolas gold, two SUVs, and Rs1 million cash. His declared income in 2012 was Rs942,612, against which he paid Rs80,284 in taxes. That’s a step up from 2011, when he paid Rs67,479 and 2010 when he paid Rs47,077.
ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan also paid Rs47,077 in 2010 taxes and Rs80,284 in 2012. His assets in 2012 include inherited properties worth Rs7 million, a 24% share in a 72,000 dirham business in the UAE, a 1988 model Toyota, 50 tolas of gold, half a million rupees in prize bonds and close to Rs400,000 in the bank.
On the other hand, PTI’s Jahangir Khan Tareen, also among the richest politicians, paid Rs22.53 million tax in 2012 but also had three loans written off.
By contrast the FBR data also shows that Arbab Alamgir Khan, another billionaire of the outgoing assembly, paid Rs266,957 tax in 2012.
PTI’s Azam Khan Swati, running for NA-20 (Mansehra-I), is also considered to be very wealthy but, according to the FBR, hasn’t paid a single paisa in tax since 2010.
Ahmed Aziz Bilour, from the wealthy Bilour family, has submitted nomination papers from NA-1 (Peshawar-I) and has neither shown any income nor paid any tax since 2010.
Engineer Amir Muqam of the PML-N will be contesting elections from NA-31 (Shangla), and according to the FBR, has paid no tax in 2012 despite declaring an income of Rs38,000,000.
National Assembly’s former deputy speaker Faisal Karim Kundi from the PPP has declared possession of 2310 kanal farmland land in 2012, but has not paid any tax since 2010. That puts him in the same boat as his opponent Musarrat Shaheen who also hasn’t paid tax since 2010
Syed Ali Musa Gilani, the son of former PM Gilani has declared an income of Rs3.495 million but he paid zero tax in 2012.
PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is contesting the elections from NA-105 Gujrat and the FBR record shows he paid zero tax against the income of Rs 1,224,809 in 2011.
PML-N chief Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has improved his tax history, paying Rs2.01 million in 2010, Rs 2.13 million in 2011 and Rs2.207 million in 2012.
Shahbaz Sharif’s data shows that his income was Rs4.96 million in 2010, which increased to Rs22.18 million in 2011 and Rs24.18 million in 2012.
He paid Rs255,457, Rs2.0 million and Rs2.5 million respectively during these three years.
On the other hand the PML-N’s Abid Sher Ali paid Rs72,251 tax in 2011 but did not pay any tax in 2010 and 2012.
That’s something he has in common with PTI’s Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali who also didn’t pay any tax in 2012, despite declaring an income of Rs 2.5 million income in 2012.
His party chief Imran Khan’s declared income dropped sharply from Rs. 9.4 million in 2010, to Rs2.9 million in 2011 and then rose slightly to Rs3.5 million in 2012. . Imran paid Rs1.8 million, Rs308,608 and Rs267,440 in taxes respectively during these three years.
And finally, former president Pervez Musharraf made Rs1.38 million in 2010, Rs1.46 million in 2011 and Rs1.56 million in 2012. He has paid no taxes for the last three years.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2013.