KARACHI: A cartel of Intelligence & Investigation – IRS officers/officials have taken the corruption and extortion to new levels, as now they have started making indecent demands to working women along with the want of bribes.
This cartel is comprised of eight officers/officials of I&I-IRS including four auditors, two officers inland revenue and two upper division clerks. These officers are in intelligence for the last over ten years; earlier they were at Vigilance Cell, then I&I-Customs and now I&I-IRS.
It was known that the cartel has setup tax consultancy offices and they approached taxpayers as consultants offering their services in filing tax returns, and trap them. After acquiring sensitive information about the taxpayers, they dispatch flying notices. These notices are issued without the approval and permission of concerned authority and are not documented as well.
Afterwards, the cartel cut ‘under-the-table’ deal with those taxpayers for discarding the cases against them. Sources said that the cartel was extorting millions of rupees from the taxpayers.
This cartel is led by a senior officer of I&I-IRS who simultaneously holds the office of Director I&I Hyderabad and Additional Director I&I Karachi. It was known that the entire cartel was patronized by a Grade-20 officer of FBR.
It is interesting to know that a large number of FIRs were lodged pertaining to the misuse of SRO 1125(I)/2011, however this cartel weakened the prosecution for obvious reason and so far not a single final challan was presented before court pertaining to these FIRs.
These officers/officials threaten tax officers of arrest and other action through flying notices and extort huge sums. Moreover, some members of this gang are now harassing working women making indecent demands.
According to information reaching at Customnews.pk, one Muzaffar Qureshi approached a working woman presenting himself to be a tax consultant to trap her. Later, Qureshi approached her again and introduced himself an I&I officer, he was accompanied by Inspector Aslam and Inland Revenue Officer Humayun. The said lady was then issued flying notices on the letter head of Intelligence & Investigation of IRS.
It has been known that Muzaffar Qureshi is now harassing her and threatening her of arrest and other action unless the said lady accompanies Qureshi to some night party and pay Rs2.0 million.