The federal government has assigned all the deputy commissioners and heads of development authorities across the country to identity 'benami properties' and submit report to the Prime Minister Office and chairman Federal Board of Revenue by September 30, 2019. Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday directed all the deputy commissioners to submit their reports with respect to benami properties in their respective areas within one month to the chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Prime Minister Office not later than September 30, 2019.

The Prime Minister warned them that action would be taken against them if later on any benami property is unearthed in their areas. The Prime Minister in a meeting held on August 20, 2019 on benami properties, had emphasised the implementation of the Benami Act. He urged that there was a pressing need for tracking benami properties across the country and wanted the provincial governments to adopt a proactive role in initiating the tracking of benami properties in their province through respective institutions.

He said that deputy commissioners being collectors and custodian of land record have a key role in collection of property records; therefore, it would be ideal to direct all the deputy commissioners to track through their respective revenue staff all benami or suspected to be benami properties in their jurisdictions within one month.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019