SLAMABAD – Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Economic AffairsHammad Azhar has made startling revelations about accounts of Pakistanisabroad.
He on Friday informed the National Assembly that Federal Board of Revenue(FBR) had collected data of 96,000 Pakistanis having bank accounts abroad.
During Question Hour, he said, “We have collected the data of 96,000account holders from abroad and the government is determined to take actionon this.”
Opposition member Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali had asked the minister totell the assembly the “reasons for not taking any action” against thePakistani citizens who were named in the Panama Papers, he revealed that444 Pakistanis had been named in the Panama Papers for allegedly owningoffshore assets.
He said that the field offices had so far issued notices to 294 peopleunder “relevant section” of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. About 150 peoplecould not be traced due to “incomplete particulars”, while 12 people wereno longer alive, the minister disclosed.
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He further said that audit proceedings had been finalized in 15 cases andthe remaining 36 cases were being heard.
Meanwhile, 242 cases were being “pursued for initiating proceedings”. Hesaid that a demand of Rs10.9 billion had been created in 15 cases out ofwhich Rs6.2 billion have been recovered.
