November 09, 2018: Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar Friday informed the National Assembly that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected data of 96,000 Pakistanis having bank accounts abroad.
During Question Hour, he said, “We have collected the data of 96,000 account holders from abroad and the government is determined to take action on this.”
Opposition member Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali had asked the minister to tell the assembly the “reasons for not taking any action” against the Pakistani citizens who were named in the Panama Papers, he revealed that 444 Pakistanis had been named in the Panama Papers for allegedly owning offshore assets.
He said that the field offices has so far issued notices to 294 people under “relevant section” of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. About 150 people could not be traced due to “incomplete particulars”, while 12 people were no longer alive, the minister disclosed.
He further said that audit proceedings has been finalized in 15 cases and the remaining 36 cases are being heard.
Meanwhile, 242 cases were being “pursued for initiating proceedings”. He said that a demand of Rs10.9 billion had been created in 15 cases out of which Rs6.2 billion have been recovered.
