LAHORE: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Saturday submitted a report on the offshore property of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khanum to the Supreme Court in a sealed envelope and declared that she did not avail herself of the tax amnesty scheme benefits.

While presenting the report in a sealed envelope regarding her property in Dubai on the instruction of a special bench of the apex court, FBR Inland Revenue Commissioner Chaudhry Ishtiaq Khan said a hearing on a notice served on her was fixed for Dec 5.

The commissioner also maintained that Ms Khanum had never availed herself of any benefit from the amnesty scheme introduced before the general elections.

In response to the query about the action initiated against Ms Aleema, the commissioner said the FBR had started its proceedings on Feb 8 when a notice was issued to her. He said the initial notices could not be delivered due to her unavailability in Pakistan. However, he said, she later responded to the FBR. The commissioner said she was bound to disclose her Dubai property which she sold it later.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar directed the commissioner to submit a complete record of the FBR proceedings on the matter and also issued a notice to her for the purpose of seeking information about creation of the asset in question, its source and its non-disclosure before the tax authority.

The court would resume hearing in Islamabad on Dec 6.

The name of the prime minister’s sister as a benamidar of a property in the UAE had recently surfaced during the hearing of a case about offshore properties owned by Pakistani citizens and money transfer to other countries through illegal means.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2018