PHC issues contempt notice to FBR officials

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has issued contempt of court notice to Federal Board of Revenue chairman, member administration board of revenue, and director general, Intelligence and Investigation (IR) in a contempt of court petition.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan issued the contempt of court to the official respondents. They were directed to submit reply to the contempt petition before the next hearing.

The court issued notice in a contempt petition. It was filed by Altaf Hussain, Inspector Inland Revenue of the Intelligence and Investigation (IR).

The petitioner has sought initiation of contempt proceedings for violating the court orders about awarding cash reward in recovery of taxes from defaulters.

During the hearing, counsels for the petitioner, Noor Alam Khan and Muhammad Tariq Afridi, submitted that the high court on May 6, this year disposed of the writ petition of the petitioner inspector with the directions to the respondents to decide the cash reward issue of the petitioner in light of section 227-A of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 within 90 days.

In the petition, the official had claimed that he had recovered tax evasion money from a businessman in 2013, which was Rs1, 21, 00000. He stated that under the law when an officer made recovery of tax evasion money from the businessmen, then there is a reward of two year salaries or 25 percent from the recovered money. But, he claimed the respondents are not paying his legal share of Rs1.4 million of the recovered money since 2015.