ISLAMABAD: Senators Tuesday expressed serious concern over a proposal in the Finance Bill 2021 that grants sweeping powers to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) field formations to arrest anyone without obtaining a warrant, saying this proposal, if materialized, would allow FBR to "impose mini-Martial Law and it would turn FBR into mini-NAB."
At the Senate sitting presided over by Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentary (PPPP) leader Sherry Rehman pointed out a proposal in the Finance Bill 2021 that empowers the assistant commissioners of Inland Revenue (IR) to make arrests without obtaining arrest warrants.
"This would allow the FBR to impose mini-Martial Law," she said speaking on the floor of the House. "It's an attack on the fundamental rights of every citizen of Pakistan," she said.
The FBR would misuse this power with impunity to intimidate the citizens, she said asking the chairman Senate to play his role in ensuring that such proposals were not materialized in the legislation concerning the new federal budget.
Leader of the Opposition in Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani asked Leader of the House Dr Shahzad Waseem to assure the House that the said proposal that grants FBR the sweeping powers to arrest anyone is not implemented.
Former chairman Senate Raza Rabbani said a similar amendment has been introduced in the Customs Act that includes the word 'retail' in the definition of smuggling. "By including the world 'retail' in the definition of smuggling, this will open up huge Pandora box - the Customs officials will raid every shop and harass the retailers on one pretext or other citing lame excuses-the powers granted to FBR and its commissioners in this Finance Bill would turn the FBR into mini-NAB (National Accountability Bureau)-this would be extremely dangerous," he remarked.
Azam Nazir Tarar from Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) said the Finance Bill 2021, if passed in the present shape, would allow "income tax inspectors to harass the taxpayers, pick them from their homes and put them to jail."
Responding to criticism against the proposal regarding FBR's powers to make arrests, Dr Shahzad said the matter has been taken up by the Senate Finance Committee. "The finance panel has sought reply from the finance minister and FBR-the committee would review the Finance Bill and finalise its recommendations that would be reviewed by the House-the power granted to FBR to make arrests is just a proposal-let the committee complete its work-it has the representation from all parliamentary segments-I am sure a consensus would be reached," he said.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Law Minister Farogh Naseem agreed that the concerns of the senators regarding the powers granted to FBR to make arrests without obtaining warrants need to be addressed.
He said the corruption cases against senior opposition leaders were not framed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and were registered in the past.
Responding to allegations against the government of figure-fudging in economic sectors, the minister said, the opposition should identify the figures that it believes are fudged. "Mere allegations lacking any proof would not help," he said.
Meanwhile, six bills were moved in Senate all of which were referred to the relevant standing committee.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan presented the bills on behalf of the ministers concerned. These bills are; The Elections (Amendment) Bill 2021, The Elections (Second Amendment) Bill 2021, The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill 2021, The Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Bill 2021, The Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power (Amendment) Bill 2021 and The Pakistan Arms (Amendment) Bill 2021.
When The Pakistan Arms (Amendment) Bill 2021 was presented, the chairman Senate urged the House that the bill be passed and should not be referred to the relevant standing committee. "This bill takes the power from the federal cabinet to accord approval to issue arms licences and give this power to the Ministry of Interior. This has been done on the request of the Parliament. I think that bill should sail through the House," Sanjrani said.
However, Gilani, the opposition leader, said the bill should be referred to the relevant committee.
"When all other bills have been referred to the relevant standing committees, this bill one should too. Otherwise, it will create a bad taste," he said. The chairman then referred the bill to the relevant committee.The House would meet again Friday at 10 am.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021