ISLAMABAD - Supreme Court of Pakistan is tightening the noose around the Pakistanis who have stached billions of rupees abroad illegally.
The Federal Investigation Agency got a green signal from the Supreme Court on Wednesday to inquire from the owners of 2,700 properties identified recently by the agency about the sources that led to acquisition of the assets abroad.
A three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also asked FIA Director General Bashir Memon to kick-start the campaign by summoning at least top 20 people in the list of owners of the properties stashed abroad and ask them to submit affidavits explaining the sources of their wealth — whether the capital to acquire the properties was transferred illegally or legally out of Pakistan.
The court had taken up a suo motu case relating to illegal transfer of money from Pakistan to foreign countries.
The case was initiated when it came to the notice of the court that a large number of Pakistani citizens are maintaining accounts in foreign countries without disclosing to the local authorities or paying taxes on them in accordance with the law.