FBR, NAB probe 10,384 Kanal land as Benami properties

ISLAMABAD: A housing society purchased 10,384 kanals of land in Fatehjang in the name of an individual and paid money through cheques, however, the land is still held by Benami even after the enactment of the Benami law. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is also investigating this case on other charges.

The FBR’s Benami Zone, Islamabad, has issued a formal show-cause notice and ordered provisional attachment of 10,384 kanals of land on an immediate basis. It was the second-largest case investigated by the Benami Zone, Islamabad, after its creation in the last two-year period.

The FBR’s Benami Zone, Islamabad, has provisionally attached 10,384 kanals benami in tehsil Fatehjang, district Attock. A formal show-cause notice has been issued to the benamidars, beneficial owner and the concerned parties. The formal notice for provisional attachment of the land has also been issued to the deputy commissioner, Attock, to avert any attempt of transfer of land.

Under the provisional attachment order, the benamidar cannot transfer the land in any other name and after the issuance of show-cause notice and hearing the parties, the investigation will be concluded and the reference will be filed before the adjudicating authority by the initiating officer, who is the deputy commissioner from the Inland Revenue Service.

According to the available information, the prime minister of Pakistan in August, 2019 directed all the revenue authorities of the provinces to provide information/ evidence on the suspected benami properties.

Consequent to that directive, the deputy commissioner, Attock, forwarded information/ evidence on this suspected benami property to Benami Zone-I, Islamabad, in September, 2019 and after detailed investigation by the zonal authorities after collecting the relevant evidence and summoning different parties and recording their statements issued show-cause notice and provisional attachment order of the suspected benami land measuring 10,384 kanals.

This is the second biggest case of benami property framed by the Benami Zone, Islamabad, in terms of land area. Prior to this case, Benami Zone-I, Islamabad, on the provision of information by the commissioner Rawalpindi Division, filed the biggest case on benami land in Pakistan involving more than 50,000 kanals and also won it from the adjudicating authority and now it is pending before an appellate tribunal. So far, the Benami Zone-I, Islamabad, have attached land of more than 71,000 kanals in different localities and filed 41 references on the benami assets.

Besides land cases, Benami Zone, Islamabad, has also filed 15 references on luxury vehicles and confiscated one Range Rover in June, 2021 which is now the property of the federal government of Pakistan and the case has been moved to the secretary cabinet to place it before the federal cabinet to take decision on its disposal under Rule 11 of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Rules, 2019, which is awaited.