The Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Zones of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Wednesday launched a major crackdown against owners of Benami assets in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, and provisionally attached 6,000 kanals of land owned by Senator Chaudhry Tanveer of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
In this regard, Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Zones issued 30 orders of provisional attachment of immovable properties under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 2017 here on Wednesday. The orders issued to the Benami owners by the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Zone-I in the matter of Senator Chaudhry Tanveer said: "Whereas proceedings under section 22(1) of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 2017 have been initiated against the concerned person. The Commissioner Inland Revenue of Zone-1 has approved under section 22(3) to provisionally attach the land registered in Rawalpindi. In view of the approval and in terms of section 22(3) read with section 5 of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 2017, the concerned person has been prohibited and restrained until further orders from transferring of immovable propriety and all persons are prohibited from taking any benefit under such transfer of charge."
Six orders of similar kind have been issued by the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Zone in the said case. The cases would be referred to the adjudicating authority under Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act-2017 after completion of the due process.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and the Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Wednesday said that the government has started off crackdown against undeclared (Benami) asset holders without any discrimination on national level and Benami assets of former President Asif Ali Zardari have been seized in Karachi under the Benami Law.
Talking to media persons here at Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), she further said that Benami assets of Senator Chaudhry Tanveer of PML-N, registered in the name of his servants, have also been seized by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Tanvir's benami property is spread over 6,000 kanals of land approximately. His servants Abdul Aziz, Azhar Ali, Mubin Maroof, Shahjahan Begum and Raja Shakoor have been sent legal notices by FBR informing them about the development and the consequences.
Dr Firdous said that the government would take action against the owners of Benami assets without any discrimination, while assuring that the government would not take a step back under any pressure from any quarter during the ongoing drive against holders of Benami assets. She stressed that now everyone will have to pay his due share of taxes.
She also said that airing of Asif Ali Zardari's interview was violation of the laws of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and National Assembly.
While talking about the arrest of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, she said the ANF has detained him on authentic information that his vehicle contained drugs worth Rs 150 to Rs 200 million. She stressed upon taking a strict action against the facilitators of drugs peddlers. She said the people expect the PML-N not to support Sanaullah; rather it should show least concern in this matter.
She said ANF is an independent institution and there was no link of the government with his detention. She appreciated ANF for performing its duty.
She said the former government kept the links of Sanaullah with the proscribed outfits behind the veil. She said nobody knows the role of Sanaullah in the Model Town case too. She denied the impression that the PML-N wants to use the arrest of Rana Sanaullah as political point-scoring.
A crackdown against 'Benami properties' has been initiated as eight Benami properties have provisionally been attached in Karachi.
Following the approval granted by the FBR, the Benami Zone III of Adjudicating Authority established under Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 2017 has issued notice for the provisional attachment of eight Benami properties in Karachi for a period of 90 days under sub-section (3) of section 22 of the Act for Prohibition for holding properties in Benami. Majority of provisionally attached Benami properties belong to the Omni group.
The details of eight provisionally attached benami properties are: plot no 18/2, Civil Lines, Karachi owned by Benamidar Plaza Enterprises Pvt Ltd, plot no 126-E-I, Civil Lines, Karachi owned by Benamidar Marshal Homes & Builders Pvt Ltd, plot no 122, Block 05, Clifton, Karachi owned by Benamidar Nadeem Ahmed Khan, 22,644,335 number of shares of Thatta Cement company Limited owned by Benamidar Al Miftah Holding Pvt Ltd, 22,644,335 number of shares of Thatta Cement company Limited owned by Benamidar Sky Pak Holding Pvt Ltd, 70,000,53 number of shares of Thatta Cement company Limited owned by Benamidar Rising Star Holding Pvt Ltd, 30 million preference shares of Summit Bank owned by Benamidar Seracom Stock & Capital Pvt Ltd and 30 million preference shares of Summit Bank owned by Benamidar Parkview Stock & Capital Pvt Ltd.
To a question, sources said that there is a provision in the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 2017 for provisional attachment of Benami properties for 90 days in order to ensure that the benami properties would not be sold during legal proceedings.
They said that it was assumed that all these provisionally attached properties would be sold clandestinely when the formal investigation was commenced by Benami Zone-III of Adjudicating Authority established under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act 2017. Therefore, the Benami Zone-III has attached all eight Benami properties provisionally for 90 days, they said and added that after the provisional attachment of these properties Benami Zone-III is obligated to finalize investigation within 90 days and file reference against the Benamidars for further legal process.
Comments
Comments are closed.