ISLAMABAD: Perturbed by media reports about non-submission of tax returns and hiding sources of income by lawmakers, the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly has sought clarification from the finance secretary and chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue.

A meeting of the committee presided over by Syed Khurshid Shah of the PPP on Tuesday said that FBR chairman Tariq Bajwa and Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood owed an explanation about ‘distorted’ information attributed to their departments on tax returns of parliamentarians.

Sheikh Rohail Asghar of the PML-N appeared more upset because of what he described as a deliberate campaign to discredit members of parliament by releasing wrong information about their taxes and returns.

“As a member of the National Assembly my tax is deducted at source, but I am being painted as if I don’t pay taxes. It is ridiculous,” he said.

Naveed Qamar of the PPP also said that a full-fledged campaign had been launched against lawmakers which needed an urgent clarification from the FBR chairman.