FBR’s ABI confiscates luxury vehicle

ISLAMABAD: The FBR’s Anti-Benami Initiative (ABI) has confiscated a luxury vehicle in the federal capital. According to the FBR announcement made here on Friday, in a first of its kind operation, the Anti-Benami Initiative Zone-I, Islamabad, confiscated a luxury five-door vehicle from a residential premise in the capital.

The initial clue to this vehicle’s Benami ownership was traced from the Excise Office, Islamabad Capital Territory. The suspected Benami owner was not enrolled with the FBR and upon enquiry, he disowned the vehicle and disclosed that he was just a driver whose CNIC was used by the beneficial owner of the vehicle.

After completion of investigation, a reference was filed to the Adjudicating Authority, which was decided in favour of the ABI. The whereabouts of the vehicle were traced to a house in Islamabad, which was subsequently searched, and on June 2, 2021, the vehicle was confiscated with the help of local law-enforcement agencies (LEAs) under the Benami Transactions Prohibition Act 2017.

In accordance with the directions of the prime minister, the momentum against Benami assets accelerated in June 2019 with the inception of Anti-Benami Zones across Pakistan. The three newly-created zones, while functioning under the supervision of a directorate general, have so far filed more than 90 references containing various categories of assets including shares, bank accounts, vehicles, land and buildings, etc. Among them are 33 vehicles which shall be confiscated as soon as these references attain finality under the law.