ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Najeeb Haroon, a relativelylesser known political figure, has paid more than Rs86 million in taxesduring the year 2015 and Rs134 million (0.134 billion) in the year 2017.
“I am an engineer by profession and working in construction industry sincelast 31 years, I have been contributing to the national exchequer (throughtaxes), when Imran Khan formed PTI, he also urged wealthy and affluentPakistanis to pay their taxes in full so their underprivileged country mencan enjoy its benefits,” Najeeb Haroon told ARY News when asked about histax record.
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Najeeb who is set to contest from Karachi’s NA-256 constituency and willface Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Sajid Hasan, Muttahida Majlis Amal’s(MMA) Mairajul Huda and MQM’s Amir Chishti.
Considered a founding member of PTI, before being chosen for NA-256, NajeebHaroon contested last year’s PS-114 by-polls in Karachi, a battle he lostto PPP’s Saeed Ghani.
The seat had fallen vacant after Irfanullah Marwat — who won the seat inthe 2013 general elections on the PML-N ticket by defeating MQM candidateRauf Siddiqui — was unseated as the election result was declared void by anelection tribunal.
His political journey, however, began much earlier.
As an engineering student at the city’s famous NED University, he won thestudent union election in his final year to acquire the coveted position ofPresident of the Student Union.
He then flied to US for further studies and completed his Masters in CivilEngineering from the Oregon State University USA. After coming back toPakistan in the year 1987, he started Principal Builders, a constructioncompany, the source of his income, through which he pays millions in taxes.
Amongst politicians who graced the country’s parliament in last five year,PTI’s Jehangir Tareen, who was later disqualified, was the country’s toptax-paying parliamentarian with Rs53.67 million filed in tax returns in theyear 2016.
With the record made public by ECP ahead of general elections, Najeeb isway ahead of top political figures like PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari, who paidRs22.7 million during the year 2017 and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif whopaid Rs10.78 million during the last year.
Even his party chief Imran Khan paid only Rs0.42 million tax on his incomeduring the last year.