Rs254 million returned to Bank Al-Habib fraud case affectees, Senate body told

Briefing about Rs5 billion Bank Al-Habib fraud case, Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance was told on Wednesday that Rs254 million had been returned to the affected persons so far, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor told the body, which met with Senator Salim Mandviwalla in the chair in Islamabad, that FIRs had also been registered against the bank employees who were involved in the fraud, and that it would be ensured that all those involved were brought to justice.  

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Zubair Tiwana told the committee that neither it was in the Board’s jurisdiction to tax the agriculture sector nor the World Bank (WB) had given any such suggestion to it.  

The chairman informed that the number of tax filers in the country had now reached five million.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Farooq Naek said it was unfortunate that subsidy was announced for industrialists, but not for the poor. “Poor people are even made to pay hefty amounts in their bills,” he said.   

He was of the view that no segment of the society should be given subsidy.

Reporter: Waqas Azeem