ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started investigations against three top leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) over benami property charges, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to informed sources, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Zones have started investigation against former opposition leader Khursheed Shah, former Sindh minister Sharmila Farooqi and MNA Nafeesa Shah.
The FBR has asked anti-benami zones to ascertain whether these individuals hold benami properties, accounts or not.
Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah has already been on the radar of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after it uncovered nearly Rs500 billion worth of properties allegedly owned by him and registered under the name of a “frontman”.
The prime minister had last week also directed all deputy commissioners and heads of development authorities to identify benami properties in their respective institutions/departments and submit their reports within one month.
He also directed the officials concerned to submit a report to the FBR and to the Prime Minister Office in this regard by September 30.
The anti-benami zones have already started investigations against at least 30 public office holders, including former president Asif Ali Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan.
The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Zones of the FBR attached 6,000 kanals of land owned by Chaudhry Tanveer, similarly, Karachi zones had also attached Omni groups’ Immovable properties in Karachi.
Sources said that FBR has information of around 300 individuals about their benami properties or income. The directorate is sending notices to those individuals and they are bound to reply. If the reply is deemed unsatisfactory assessment order will be passed against them and their case(s) will be forwarded to the adjudicating authority under the benami law.
