LAHORE: The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) have reportedly arrested five suspects, including a ‘wealthy businessman’, two shooters and a handler, for being involved in ‘an armed attack’ on two senior officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Lahore some days back.

According to investigation, the businessman had allegedly plotted the gun attack on FBR deputy commissioners, Salman Ali and Ali Solangi, for their role in issuance of a `massive’ FBR tax notice to him.

Both the officers had escaped shooting on their vehicle in Muslim Town area of Lahore on Dec 28. The police later escorted them to the police station where a case was lodged against unidentified armed men.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took serious notice of the incident and directed the Lahore police chief to trace the culprits.

An official source said multiple police teams, including CIA, were assigned investigation into the case.

He said after a few days of the incident, the police traced the suspects behind the criminal assault on the FBR officers.

According to the police inquiries, he said, the businessman had received a notice of FBR taxes worth Rs112 million.

He said the businessman who protested the notice later hired the shooters to teach the FBR officers a lesson.

As par plan, he said, the shooters carried out armed attack on the FBR officers on the given day and time but luckily they escaped.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2022