CJP summons details of Aleema’s six properties in Dubai

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday summoned details of six properties of Aleema Khanum in Dubai and her tax amnesty. Khanum is Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo motyo case regarding foreign bank accounts and properties held by Pakistani citizens. During the course of hearing in the morning, CJ Mian Saqib Nisar directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to present property and tax amnesty details of Aleema Khanum.

Later, a representative of FBR told the court that they had asked for the said file but have not yet received it. The CJ then asked the official that he should have made a call, summoning the file to which the official replied that the file was in Lahore.

At this, the CJ directed FBR to submit details today (Saturday) at Lahore Registry as the CJ said that he is leaving for Lahore to take up cases there. The CJ directed that details pertaining to Aleema be submitted before him in a sealed envelope.

Earlier, when the court resumed hearing in the matter, the CJ asked the FBR Chairman as to whether Aleema owns any property in the United Arab Emirates and further asked if she had benefited from an amnesty scheme.

The FBR officials present in court informed the bench that Aleema had availed an amnesty scheme and her tax details were confidential. Justice Ijazul Ahsen, another member of the bench, observed that before availing the amnesty scheme, one has to declare his/her assets. CJ Mian Saqib Nisar directed for submitting details pertaining to Aleema’s properties as well as her tax record adding that they will review the details.

It is pertinent to mention here that on October 26, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in pursuance of the court’s order had provided a list wherein it was informed that Aleema owns one benami property in Dubai while Rizwana Amin, spouse of senior PPP leader Amin Fahim (late) is the owner of four properties in Dubai. However, she has declined to ownership of these properties.

The report had revealed that several political personalities as well as government officials are having properties in Dubai either in their names or in their family members’ names. The agency submitted that it could not be assumed at this stage that these properties were established through illegal means of income.

The court was informed that Aleema is also owner of benami property in Dubai at which she was served notice at her home address as well as on email address. Likewise, the report also contains names of Irfanullah Khan Marwat, having one property in Dubai. However, he has disowned it. Marwat is a politician and son-in-law of former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

Similarly, Attorney General Anwar Mansoor Khan in pursuance of the courts’ direction had presented a list of 20 Pakistani individuals, having some 120 properties in United Arab Emirates. The CJ had asked Attorney General to provide list of some 20 people as a sample who have properties in UAE but had claimed amnesty, offered by the previous government of PML-N.

Meanwhile, FIA Director General Bashir Memon submitted a report in the apex court stating that the investigations regarding 1115 Pakistani property holders in United Arab Emirates are underway.

The report further stated that the investigation pertaining to 895 Pakistani property holders in UAE are underway and the details and progress report regarding these investigations had already been submitted in the interim report on October 25, 2018 and interim report on November 1, 2018. The report further stated that another 220 Pakistanis holding 656 properties in UAE were identified and added in the list of 895 Pakistanis holding properties in UAE.

The court was further informed that list of more people was provided to the FBR besides issuing notices to the concerned people and seeking their travel documents. Meanwhile, the court adjourned hearing until December 6.