In a significant development, the Directorate of Intelligence & Investigation-Inland Revenue (I&I-IR) of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) executed a raid on the premises of a prominent tax consultancy firm associated with three Advocates of the Sindh High Court. The raid took place on December 7, 2023, at 4:30 PM in Badar Commercial – Phase V, DHA, Karachi, following special directives from DG (I&I-IR) Islamabad, Mr. Aqeel Ahmed Sidiqi.
Joint teams, led by Director I&I-IR Hyderabad, Mr. Aslam Mari, and Director I&I-IR Karachi, Mr. Tariq Ghani, executed the operation. Other members included Mr. Azam Nafees (Assistant Director – Sales Tax Department), Investigation Officer of Sales Tax Saeed Khan, and Additional Commissioner (Head Office) Karachi, Mr. Bilal Jafri, from the Inland Revenue Department.
Advocate High Court, Mr. Gulrez Ahmed Khan, was detained during the raid, prompting the Karachi Bar Association (KBA) to invoke the Lawyers Protection Act 2023 and declare a General Strike. Sources indicate a dispute over the “Distribution Formula” for FBR’s lucrative Textile Sector refunds as the root cause.
The detained Advocate asserted that the department sought revenge, claiming his prior role as the legal advisor. The Customs Court in Karachi was informed of alleged tax fraud sheltered by I&I-IR, implicating auditors with unexplained luxuries. The court released the Advocate, citing the support of Karachi lawyers.
Lawyers announced an indefinite strike until an FIR for “Illegal Detention” is lodged against I&I-IR officers. Chairman FBR remains unreachable for comments on the unfolding situation. This development adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing tussle between legal practitioners and tax authorities.
(this news is from unreliable source therefore what’s disclose above cannot be confirmed)
