KARACHI: Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation-Inland Revenue, Karachi has arrested ‘accountant’ of QMobile, a popular cell phone company, confirmed FBR Official Spokesperson and Member Inland Revenue Shahid Hussain Asad.
Earlier, sources told Customs Today that QMobile Manager Operations Babar Sultan has been arrested by Assistant Director Asif Ali Abro, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation-Inland Revenue, Karachi. Later on FBR Official Spokesperson and Member Inland Revenue Shahid Hussain Asad exclusively talked to Customs Today and confirmed that a senior accountant of the company has been arrested but he did not disclose his name. He confirmed that FIR has been lodged against QMobile management. However, when contacted, Country Head of QMobile Zeeshan Yousuf and Managing Director Mian Zeeshan confirmed that their accountant Sultan was called by I&I-IR for investigation purposes but no FIR was lodged against any of their officials.
Earlier, Pakistan Customs had recovered a massive amount of Rs 1,026 millions from different mobile companies including Digicom Telecommunications (QMobile), New Allied Electronics (a sister-concern company of Digicom Telecommunications), Sana Enterprises, Mustafa Impex and Triple-S Telecommunication Company after the verdict of Islamabad High Court (IHC). According to the details, the cellular companies had registered cases vide petitions No. 2340/2013 and 1927/2013 in Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the issuance of Statutory Regulatory Orders (SROs) 480, 280 and 460 by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). The cellular companies in the aforesaid petitions challenged the SROs issued by FBR. In the petitions, the cellular companies denied the sales tax ratio imposed on import of the mobile phones. They were of the view that the FBR, after introduction of 18th Amendment, was not authorized to issue any SRO without the consent of Prime Minister of Pakistan and Federal Cabinet. On the other hand, FBR declared that Prime Minister had delegated the powers to FBR for issuance of SROs, adding that the Pakistan Customs only accepted bank guarantee and Pay Orders (PO) from cellular companies in the form of payment and not accepted the Post Dated Cheques (PDC). According to the Pakistan Customs officer, SRO 480 and SRO 460 which superseded the SRO 280 imposed sales tax up to Rs 250 to Rs 1,000 on import of each cell phone.
