Aleema Khan pays penalty on her undeclared Dubai property

By
Zahid Gishkori
|
Aleema Khan - File photo 
 

ISLAMABAD: In an effort to avoid imminent legal action for owning undeclared overseas’ assets, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, has deposited half of her Dubai property's total cost with tax authorities.

Aleema paid 25 per cent of the total estimated amount of her luxurious flat, "The Lofts East-1406", in taxes and 25 per cent fine charges, informed officials said Thursday. The prime minister's sister was slapped with a double penalty (taxes and fine) because she did not disclose the said property worth around Rs74 million. The said luxurious flat was located in the heart of Dubai, adjacent to Burj Khalifa, the most expensive area in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), added the officials.

It took four weeks for the legal team of Aleema Khan for sealing a "successful deal" with officials of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), one of the senior officials engaged in the whole process told this correspondent. 

Her legal team, however, has yet to respond to key queries raised by FBR and FIA officials pertaining to "a matter of overseas business dealing" through which the under questioned property was acquired years back. 

Aleema Khan, in her affidavit submitted with FIA team, says, "The Lofts East:1460 was paid for from funds generated from my business dealings overseas. Further, I have already disposed of my property and have also informed the FBR about the purchase and sale of the said property." The affidavit, also available with Geo News, was submitted by her legal team. Chaudhry Z. Ashraf Advocate Lahore was oath commissioner of this document.

The legal team of Aleema Khan also informed the office of Director General FIA Bashir Ahmed Memon about the successful execution of process this week.

The list submitted by FIA mentioned Prime Minister Imran Khan’s 'benami' property. The agency had told the apex court that the premier's sister had been sent a notice. Geo News also approached Aleema Khan and her husband Sohail Amir Khan through email and Whatapp messages time and again for her point of view but she preferred not to respond. 

Meanwhile, informed officials told Geo News that around 20 other overseas properties' owners, politically exposed persons in particular, who were put on notice by FBR and FIA also deposited their taxes and fines. However, the FBR officially did not disclose the total volume of the amount deposited by Aleema Khan and other overseas property holders to seal the deal.

"The record of a taxpayer available with FBR is confidential and we cannot disclose the tax affairs of any taxpayer," responded Dr Muhammad Iqbal, a spokesperson for the FBR, when this correspondent sought his viewpoint on this important matter. 

On October 27, FIA had submitted in the Supreme Court the details of 44 close relatives of prominent political personalities who owned properties in the UAE.