Zardari’s aides to appear in benami companies reference tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The Benami Transactions Adjudicating Authority (BTAA) will hold on Tuesday (tomorrow) a hearing against the close aides of PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in the benami companies’ reference filed by the anti-benami zone of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

The anti-benami initiative-III Karachi had filed the reference against Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Younus Kedwai and others in connection with six benami companies- Plaza Enterprises, Al-Miftah Holding, Park View Stock and Capital, Sky Pak Holding, Golden Globe Holding and Quice Food industries.

Sources said the lead member and member (branch-III Karachi) of BTAA would hold adjudication proceedings for the above cases in Karachi.

The FBR chairperson had directed the Chief Commissioner Corporate Regional Tax Office Karachi to issue necessary directions to the concerned officers for necessary arrangements involving room reservation and secretariat-level support, they added.

Sources claimed Anwar Majeed, Abdul Ghani Majeed, Salam Younus and others were the beneficial owners in the Plaza Enterprises’ reference as they had been accused of keeping benami properties of more than 3,000 square feet in the Civil Lines quarters in Karachi on benamidars Plaza Enterprises, Imran Khan, Azam Wazir Khan and Aurangzeb Khan.

In Sky Pak Holding’s reference, Majeed and family and Younus Kedwie had been accused of keeping more than 2.2 million shares of the Thatta Cement on Sky Pak Holding and other benamidars.

In one another reference filed by the anti-benami zone-III against Park View Stock and Capital, Younus Kedwai, Aslam Masood, Hussain Lawai and others are the beneficial owners and have been accused of keeping 30 million shares of Summit Bank on benamidars such as Park View Stock and Capital, and Muhammad Arif.

Sources said the FBR’ benami zone had also filed a reference against Abdul Ghani Majeed, Younus Kedwai and others of the Omni Group in the Golden Globe Holding scandal.

They have been accused of keeping more than 0.8 million shares of Thatta Cement on Golden Globe Holding and other benamidars, they added.

Shahzad Paracha
Shahzad Paracha
The writer is a member of Pakistan Today's Islamabad bureau. He can be reached at [email protected]

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