Tracking Qadri’s assets: FIA turns to Interpol, UK agency for aiding probe

FBR claims that Dr Qadri’s NGOs evaded tax of Rs680 million.

LAHORE:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has formally sought help from Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) and Interpol to ferret out sources of funding and other relevant information regarding Dr Tahirul Qadri’s NGOs, including Minhajul Quran International (MQI).

In a letter – a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, FIA Director General Ghalib Ali Bandesha has told the British agency that the MQI’s patron in chief Dr Tahirul Qadri held a public sit in Islamabad in the year 2013.

“The object of this sit-in was to destabilise the then elected government. The sit-in continued for four days with effect from January 13, 2013 to January 16,  2013 in Islamabad, which practically paralysed life and economic activity in the federal capital, Islamabad,” it says.

It says that Dr Qadri now desires to repeat the episode again and he is planning to conduct mass political public rallies to destabilise the elected government in the name of revolution while using the money received as charity by his NGOs from across the world.

Leveling allegations of misuse of charity, the letter says the FIA has also requested the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to conduct an audit into all the financial transactions by the charity organisations related to Dr Qadri .

“The State Bank is requested to conduct the enquiry into any financial irregularities, which have been committed by Minhajul Quran International,” it says.

In this letter, the FIA has also mentioned the details of Minhaj Welfare Foundation (MWF) Account in UK pounds and the names of the operators of Idara Minhajul Quran and its sister organisations’ accounts.

The letter also gives details of remittances in Euro from Minhajul Quran Al Busstar Frankfurt, Germany and in US dollars from Minhajul Quran Willas Street Houston, USA received in two different accounts in Lahore.

The letter further states that in 2011-12 and 2013-2014 huge transactions were made in the Minhajul Quran’s accounts in Lahore and  seeks to know the legal status of these amounts/transactions particularly those made form Minhajul Quran Willas Street Houston, USA and Minhajul Quran Al Basstar Frankfurt, Germany’s office.

The latter also inquires as to under which laws these institutions are regulated and under which laws charity/donations have been collected.

It also questions as to whether the charity colledted by them can be spend on political campaigning.

Allegations of tax evasions

Meanwhile, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has claimed Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Minhajul Quran International (MQI) and Minhajul Quran Welfare Foundation (MWF) are allegedly found involved in over Rs680 million tax evasion.

Sources in the FBR while talking to The Express Tribune said the MQI and the MWF did not fall within the category of a Non-Profitable Organisation (NPO), but these institutions did not show the entire income/donations in their tax returns.

The FIA informed the FBR regarding huge transitions in the accounts of the MQI and the MWF and also provided the details to the FBR authorities to initiate proceedings against Dr Tahirul Qadtri and other directors of these institutions.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2014.