Rummaging through records: FBR serves tax notices to Qadri, his charities

Pakistani authorities decide to share probe findings with Canada and the UK.

LAHORE:

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has served notices on Idara Minhajul Quran, Minhahul Quran Welfare Foundation, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and others on charges of tax evasion, concealing assets and using charity funds for a political agenda.

According to sources privy to the development, the decision to serve these notices was taken in a high-level meeting, in which the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had shared the account details of the above institutions and Dr Qadri with the participants. The meeting was chaired by the former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah on June 16, a day prior to the Model Town mayhem.

Talking to The Express Tribune, FIA sources said the relevant record relating to Idara Minhajul Quran, Minhajul Quran Welfare Foundation was handed over to FBR for further proceedings on account of tax evasion and concealed amounts/assets during tax returns.

Sources said the Pakistani authorities have also decided to share findings of the probe – conducted by the FIA, FBR and State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) Financial Management Unit (FMU) –  with Canada and United Kingdom and some European states, where Dr Qadri’s NGOs are registered as charity organisations.

These investigations are in connection with the misuse of huge charity funds and their utilisation for political campaigning instead of welfare projects.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2014.