The Sindh government on Thursday lodged an FIR against the National Bank of Pakistan over 'illegal' transfer of Rs 294 million from its kitty to the Federal Board of Revenue. The Sindh Excise and Taxation Department filed a complaint against the divisional head operation of NBP, KPT branch, Karachi, claiming that "The Income Tax Department has been creating bogus demands unilaterally against the Excise Taxation and Narcotics Control Department on account of withholding tax".

The FIR further says that "after creating such demands without reconciliation with this department are making recovery via means of attachments of provincial government account in spite of the fact that this office does not recover withholding tax of FBR, they have recovered from the National Bank of Pakistan Branch".

"Recently, u/s 140 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, the Commissioner Inland Revenue created a self-created demand of Rs 294,537,428 and issued a notice to the Divisional Head Operation National Bank of Pakistan," it adds. The FIR (272/2017) was lodged with the Mithadar Police under Sections 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017