ISLAMABAD: The tribal areas may be known for horse-trading and lawlessness, but their parliamentarians are the highest tax-paying lawmakers.

The second “Parliamentarians Tax Directory”, issued by the Federal Board of Revenue on Friday, shows that legislators shine among the highest taxpayers in the country list.

Barring a few worthy exceptions, the sums paid as income tax by most of the elected representatives are laughably low. Putting it mildly, the returns do not match their princely lifestyle.

Know more: Fata – an ideal case of how not to govern a region

The tax directly has been compiled on the basis of returns filed by the parliamentarians with the FBR. The returns show the quantum of income tax paid in the tax year 2014.

According to the tax directory, 294 MNAs have declared payment of income tax in their returns for the tax year 2014, while 11 declared zero payment of income tax. In 2013, 108 MNAs had declared zero income tax payment in their returns.

The MNAs who paid under Rs10,000 as income tax include Mohammad Uzair Khan of PML-N from Khushab (Rs3,362), Moulvi Agha Mohammad of JUI-F from Pishin-cum-Ziarat (Rs1,886) and Ms Shamas-un-Nisa of PPP from Thatta (Rs8,635).

Senators paid more income tax than members of the National Assembly in 2014. Eighty senators declared payment of income tax in their returns, while 16 paid no income tax.

Out of 96 senators, Taj Mohammad Afridi from Fata paid the highest income tax of Rs24.007 million, while Dr Jehan Zeb Jamaldini of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) paid the lowest – Rs3, 509. Mr Afridi, who was elected senator last month, has also surpassed former federal minister Abbas Khan Afridi’s record tax payment in 2013.

Among the senators who paid over Rs10m as income tax, Talha Mehmood topped the list with Rs14.281m, followed by Aitzaz Ahsan (Rs12.474m), Mir Kabir Ahmad (Rs12.643m) and former Senate chairman Farooq Hamid Naek (Rs6.890m).

The senators who paid more than Rs1m include Ashok Kumar (Rs2.661m), Osman Saifullah Khan (Rs2.292m), Mohammad Yousaf (Rs1.881m), Malik Rafique Rajwana (Rs2.813m), Syed Shibli Faraz (Rs1.555m), Chaudhry Tanvir Khan (Rs1.327m) and Nuzhat Sadiq (Rs1.526m).

Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar paid Rs2.286m as income tax, former finance minister Saleem Mandviwalla Rs1.234m, Information Minister Pervez Rashid Rs313,681, Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan Rs45,757, PPP’s Farhatullah Babar Rs586,594, former interior minister Rehman Malik Rs17,379 and Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Rs685,707.

Ten senators have not filed their returns, although their names exist on the tax roll.

Sixteen senators did not pay any income tax in 2014. They are: Ms Gul Bashra, Mohammad Usman Khan Kakar and Sardar Mohammad Azam of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP); Mir Niamatullah Zehri, Shahbaz Khan Durrani, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Mohammad Javed Abbasi and Saleem Zia of PML-N; John Kenneth Williams and Ms Samina Abid of PTI; Azam Hoti and Ms Sitara Ayaz of ANP; Attaur Rehmand of JUI-F, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirajul Haq and Nighat Mirza of MQM.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: Sheikh Fayyazuddin of PML-N from Rahim Yar Khan topped the list of MNAs with Rs13.272m tax payment, while Moulvi Agha Mohammad of JUI-F from Pishin-cum-Ziarat paid the lowest – Rs1,886.

Hamza Shahbaz, son of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, paid Rs4.888m in tax year 2014. He had paid Rs4.383m in 2013.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid Rs2.611m last year and Rs2.646m in 2013.

The MNAs who paid over Rs1m as income tax are: Mohammad Shahbaz Babar (Rs3.148m), Faryal Talpur, sister of former president Asif Ali Zardari, (Rs4.823m), Sheikh Mohammad Akram (Rs2.172m), former deputy prime minister Pervaiz Ellahi (Rs1.349m), Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique (Rs2.041m), PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi (Rs1.533m), Iftikhar Nazir (Rs1.871m), Muhammad Ali Rashid (Rs2.944m), Dr Shireen Mazari (Rs1.121m), Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (Rs2.213m), Obaidullah Shadi Khel (Rs1.265m), Omar Ayub Khan (Rs3.488m), Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao (Rs1.688m) and Isphanyar M. Bhandara (Rs3.628m).

PTI Chairman Imran Khan paid Rs218, 237 and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Rs641,284.

Eleven MNAs paid income tax between Rs500, 000 and Rs1m. Prominent among them are Ghulam Sarwar Khan of PTI and Sheikh Aftab Ahmad of PML-N.

The number of MNAs whose income tax payment ranged between Rs100, 000 and Rs500,000 stands at 70. Prominent among them are: Asad Umar of PTI (Rs489,457), Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (Rs303,893), Defence Minister Khawaja Asif (Rs311,638), Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal (Rs130, 479), National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq (Rs327,895), Minister for States and Frontier Regions retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (Rs100,054).

As many as 37 MNAs have not filed their returns, but their names are on the tax roll.

The tax directory shows that 11 MNAs paid no taxes in 2014. They are: Gulzar Khan, Mujahid Ali and Aqibullah of PTI; Rao Mohammad Ajmal Khan, Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju and Malik Sultan Mehmood of PML-N; Sardar Kamal Khan Chang of PPP, Sajid Ahmed of MQM, Syed Essa Nori of BNP, Aisha of JI and Sanjay Perwani.

PUNJAB ASSEMBLY: In Punjab, 291 MPAs declared payment of income tax in their returns in 2014, while 28 paid no tax. Although the names of 34 MPAs exist on tax rolls, they did not file tax returns.

Arshad Javaid Warraich remained the highest tax payer with Rs24.08m, followed by Sheikh Aladdin (Rs13.156m), Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif (Rs5.125m in 2014 and Rs3.644m in 2013), Chaudhry Raza Ghumman (Rs2.655m), Ghazali Saleem Butt (Rs5.080m), Mohammad Siddique Khan (Rs2.354m), Raja Rashid Hafeez (Rs1.931m), Aamir Sultan Cheema (Rs1.625m), Mehmood Anwar (Rs2.486m) and Khwaja Salman Rafiq (Rs1.295m).

SINDH ASSEMBLY: In Sindh Assembly, 142 members declared payment of income tax in their returns, while seven showed zero income tax. There are 19 MPAs who exist on tax rolls, but did not file tax returns in 2014.

Syed Awais Qadir Shah was the highest taxpayer with Rs6.706m, followed by Haji Khuda Bux Rajar (Rs1.854m), Sharjeel Inam Memon (Rs1.589m), Samar Ali Khan (Rs1.281 m) and Mohammad Shaharyar Khan Mahar (Rs1.204m).

Ali Nawaz Shah is the lowest tax payer with (Rs905), followed by Sardar Mohammad Bakhsh Khan Mahar (Rs4,960).

KP ASSEMBLY: In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, 81 members declared payment of income tax in their returns, while 30 members did not pay any income tax. Interestingly, 26 MPAs paid just Rs1,000 as income tax in 2014. The highest amount was paid by Noor Saleem Mali – Rs12.103m. KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak paid Rs660,619.

BALOCHISTAN ASSEMBLY: Out of 60 members of the Balochistan Assembly, two paid no income tax. Five MPAs did not file tax returns.

Mir Hammal paid the highest amount of Rs4.407m while Mir Mujeebul Rehman Mohammad Hassani the lowest – Rs25,100.

Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch paid Rs63,443 as income tax.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2015

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