ISLAMABAD: As many as 26 lawmakers paid no tax during the tax year ended on June 30, 2015.
According to the Parliamentarians Tax Directory released by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), at least 26 parliamentarians, including 7 Senators and one Member National Assembly paid nothing under Income Tax.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said that 120 parliamentarians including Member National Assembly, Senate and provincial Assemblies have not filed their income tax returns for the tax year 2015.
The Senators showing ‘Nil’ tax payment include Gul Bashra of Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP), Kalsoom Perveen of PML-N, Mir Naimatullah Zehri of PML-N, Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar of PMAP, Samina Abid of PTI, Sittara Ayaz of ANP and Nighat Mirza of MQM.
The member National Assembly who paid no tax during the period include; Makhdoomzada Syed Basit Ahmad Sultan Bukhari of PML-N. At least 12 members of the Punjab Provincial Assembly – Malik Muhammad Zahoor Anwar, Rai Muhamamd Usman Khan Kharal, Mian Tahir, Chaudhary Muhammad Ashraf Warriach, Nighat Intasar Bhatti, Ali Asghar Manda, Ghulam Murtaza Raheem, Muhammad Imran, Ahmad Karim Qaswar Langrial, Mrs Naseem Lodhi, Mrs Haseena Begum, Mrs Saadia Sohail Rana – paid no tax during the corresponding period.
According to the directory, 3 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly paid no tax, include Arbab Jehandad Khan, Sikandar Hayat Khan and Ubaid Ullah Mayar. About 3 members of Sindh Provincial Assembly paid nothing as tax during, include Abdul Sattar Rajper, Sikandar Ali Shoro, and Owais Muzaffar.
However, all the 64 provincial members of Balochistan Assembly paid tax during the tax year 2015.
