Justice Isa’s wife appears before FBR today

ISLAMABAD: Wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa is appearing before tax authorities today (July 9, 2020), in an attempt to explain her "source of income" through which she had bought her three properties in London from 2003-04 to 2013-14.

Complying with the order of the Supreme Court (SC), the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) office of Commissioner Inland Revenue and International Taxes Zone served notices on Sarina Isa (wife), Sehar Isa (daughter) and Arsalan Isa (son) last week.

"Sarina Isa [wife of Justice Qazi Faez Isa] is appearing before FBR's Commissioner, International Taxes Zone on Thursday [today]. She would submit her detailed written response before tax authorities," high placed sources told this correspondent on Wednesday.

FBR's authorities, last week, officially relocated jurisdiction of tax office for Justice Isa's wife from Karachi’s Regional Taxpayer Office (RTO-III) to Islamabad where Sarina Isa could better respond to tax officers' queries by explaining the source of funds for acquiring offshore properties. "She is appearing in her personal capacity today. She would respond to all three notices served on her and her children," added the sources.

Zulfiqar Ahmed, an IRS officer of BS-20, has been given this task by FBR top authorities to probe the case, source said, adding, Mr Ahmed also called on Member Operations Dr Ishfaq Ahmed for guidance accordingly. Zulfiqar Ahmed had served mostly in Karachi where Sarina Isa used to file her returns in Karachi for over a decade. Sarina Isa told the apex court during the proceedings of this case that her tax office Karachi was changed without her consent by FBR authorities years back.

Last month, the apex court dismissed the presidential reference against Justice Qazi Faez Isa after declaring it ‘invalid’ while accepting the petitioner’s pleas. The Supreme Court gave three months to FBR for completion of report pertaining to Mrs Isa's offshore properties and submit its final report with Chief Justice of Pakistan.