ISLAMABAD: Already facing severe criticism after losing series from Australia, now national skipper Misbah-ul Haq’s bank accounts have been seized for recovering due taxes.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) spokesman Shahid Hussain revealed that batsman Azhar Ali’s accounts have also been frozen. He said, “Misbah has not paid taxes of 3.9 million rupees and Ali owes 1.5 million rupees in taxes, so the FBR has frozen their accounts and as per rules, their banks will be asked to deduct the amount”.
In 2012, the FBR warned Misbah and a number of players over tax non-payment, and in July this year the Misbah approached Finance Minister Ishaq Dar to resolve the income tax issues. Dar reportedly promised to resolve the issue but categorically told the players that paying taxes is a national obligation for every citizen.
According to FBR figures, less than 0.5 per cent of Pakistanis pay income tax, or just 750,000 individuals out of a population of some 180 million.