The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has instructed the Federal Board of Revenue’s chairman to provide information on the people and companies that enjoyed advantages from the amnesty plan offered during the time of the previous premier Nawaz Sharif.
The ruling came after a citizen called Waheed Shahzad Butt made a complaint against the FBR’s chairman, stating that the agency was trying to suppress important information merely to “provide flagrant advantages to tax offenders of the nation”.
The citizen had also earlier moved Lahore High Court (LHC) and Federal Tax Ombudsman requesting disclosure of information related to firms and people who used clause 86 of Second Schedule to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and the amount introduced under it.
The appellant alleged that he had sent information requests to the FBR chairman on March 5, 2018. He stated that the establishment of any tax amnesty plan for tax evaders was “nothing but the height of immorality completely endorsed by the state”.
The government, instead of adopting any such idea, should seriously consider implementing an “asset-seizure programme to collect undeclared and untaxed assets produced from black money,” he said and highlighted the necessity for legislation to get back “looted money from tax cheaters”.
However, the tax office denied the request of the petitioner owing to restrictions under section 216 of the Ordinance, 2021.
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