NAB writes 100 letters to inquire into Farah’s assets

LAHORE: Farhat Shehzadi alias Farah Gogi’s tax advisor has termed that the allegations against his client are baseless and false, saying she possessed Rs700m before the PTI had come into the power, while the NAB Lahore has sent more than 100 letters, seeking the details of wealth and properties of the couple.

Reports said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore has written more than 100 letters to different government departments, seeking assets details of Farhat Shehzadi alias Farah Gogi and her husband Jamil Ahsan Gujjar. It has learnt that the letters have also been written to the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Board of Revenue, different banks and land record departments. A copy of the letter written to the SECP is available with The News, stated that the bureau has started an inquiry against Farhat Shehzadi and Jamil Ahsan Gujjar, requesting the SECP to provide details of the companies registered in the names of the couple.

The NAB official said the record, related to the property, tax returns, wealth statements, and bank accounts, owned or operated by Farhat Shehzadi and her husband Ahsan Jamil Gujjar, has been sought. To a question, he said after going through the record, it would be decided to summon the accused couple or not, making it clear that the Bureau was investigating the matter purely on the merit without any influence.

Meanwhile, talking to a press conference, Farah Gogi’s tax advisor Advocate Asad Rasool said all the financial issues being made controversial were dealt before Usman Buzdar had become the chief minister of Punjab. Citing the situation all the allegations, posted against his client, are ‘fake and fabricated,’ he added. Rasool said it was a wrong perception that Farah’s wealth had multiplied four times during the former government, while on June 30, 2018, she possessed Rs700 million, when the PTI was not in the government. He said any legal proceeding within the ambit of taxation could be facilitated, but political questions could not be answered.

Earlier, PML-N leader Ataullah Tarar accused the PTI-led former Punjab government for mega corruption, saying that Farah Gogi had plundered on behest of former PM Imran Khan, who had given her Rs320 million tax amnesty during his three and a half years regime.