ISLAMABAD: The wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa on Thursday showed to the apex court the documents and explained the sources through which properties in the United Kingdom were purchased. She, however, requested the judges not to share documents with the government.
"All the properties are in my name, one with son and another with daughter. These properties were purchased in 2004 and 2013. My name on properties is Zarina Montserrat Khoso Carrera, as it is written on my Spanish passport," according to her.
The total worth of these properties, which is 700,000 pound sterling is not more than one kanal plot in Islamabad or Karachi. "I pay tax both in Pakistan and United Kingdom," she told a 10-member bench, which is hearing identical petitions against the Presidential Reference.
At the outset of the proceeding, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who was heading the bench, said the statement would be recorded.
The bench advised the wife of Justice Qazi Faez to approach tax authorities or the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in order to explain her position.
"We can't look at the merit of case. This we have indicated to your husband that the matter should go to the income tax authorities," said Justice Bandial.
The judge further told her that the other forum where she may take this record to is the SJC, "and make the statement there as you have a strong answer".
He also said: "We are impressed by your explanation and with your bravery and courage.
This is not you or your husband but this is the trial of the institution and therefore you have to be courageous."
She said, "I have been asking my husband that why they [authorities] are not asking me about the sources."
She told the court that on the advice of Tahir Naqvi, her counsel, who in no way is connected with her husband's law firm, opened foreign exchange currency accounts, one in US dollars and other in pound sterling at the Standard Chartered Bank, Karachi.
"I had no connection with the law firm of my husband. I chose my own lawyer. Around 0.6 million pounds were transferred to the United Kingdom though banking channel, when my husband was not a judge of the High Court. I used to report through counsel to the State Bank of Pakistan about it," she said.
For almost a one-hour narration, through a video-link, about her properties, and the sources through which these London properties were purchased, she seemed to be crying on many occasions.
She displayed her birth certificate, national identity card, Spanish passports and visa entries, bank papers, and the income tax documents.
She said these are original documents and requested the court not to show them to the government. She said she had not stated the details of foreign properties and income in tax return when the law did not require her to do so, but when the law changed then only then did she start disclosing them in her tax returns, she told the court.
Zarina Khoso complained that her Regional Tax Office (RTO) was in Karachi, but this year it was transferred to Islamabad without her knowledge.
"I have been to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for inquiring why the RTO changed they kept me waiting for hours and sent from one office to another. They said that the RTO can't be changed from Islamabad but on the direction of the apex court they transferred it back to Karachi," she said and added that when she visited the FBR nobody there asked her about the source of the properties.
She also asked why in 13 months no one has asked about the sources?
According to her, even her son in London was followed and harassed.
"I am not asking for any privilege but I must be treated as normal citizen, she said."
"Thank you very much for affirming the request. I will try to follow the instruction of the court. I am nervous. It is very difficult time for me and my family. My father is dying as he is a cancer patient. Since I married, I am no longer with my father. On the CNIC my name is Zarina Isa wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa. However, on the passport, which is Spanish, my name is Zarina Montserrat Khoso Carrera, because in Spain they take the name of both the parents. My mother is Spanish. I have been going to London since the age of 23. The first identity card was issued to me before I got married to Justice Qazi Faez. My children remain in the same properties that I have bought. When husband was not judge, the government of Pakistan gave me five years multiple entry visa. So my husband did not use his position for getting visa for me. In January, when I applied for visa the authorities were not issuing it, and harassed me but ultimately gave me one year visa instead of five years," she said.
She concluded: "After the marriage, I lived with my family in Karachi. Before marriage, I was teaching in American school in Karachi and worked many years. Despite handsome salaries I was also getting other perks and privileges. Tahir Naqvi was my counsel before he passed away he had all my tax documents. The government of Pakistan had given me tax certificates. I bought the properties in Clifton, Karachi and a plot in Latifabad, Karachi, but later on sold them. I also own agriculture land in Dera Murad Jamali, Balochistan. My counsel had informed that the income from agriculture is taxable therefore did not mention in the tax returns. On the advice of the counsel Tahir Naqvi I opened foreign exchange currency accounts one in dollar and the other UK pounds in Standard Chartered Bank. He said if you have foreign currency account then you don't need to disclose the foreign income."
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