Sarina Isa urges SC to withdraw order of sharing FBR report of her tax record

Says it is an issue of tax returns between taxpayer and FBR

ISLAMABAD - Justice Qazi Faez Isa’s wife Sarina Isa Tuesday requested the Supreme Court to withdraw the order for sharing the FBR report about her tax record. 

Sarina made the request before a 10-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial. Other members of the bench included Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Manzoor Ahmed Malik, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan.

The bench heard the review petitions of Justice Qazi Faez Isa, Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the provincial bar councils & associations and the petition of Sarina Isa against the apex court judgment on Presidential Reference.

 In the beginning of the proceeding, Justice Maqbool Baqir asked from Sarina Isa to be as brief as possible and give the bullet points. Sarina Isa resumed her arguments by requesting the bench to withdraw the order to share FBR report with the bench members and the parties.

Justice Bandial asks Faez Isa to submit reply about wife’s bank accounts today

She said that the FBR report about her tax returns is confidential and she requested not to share it with her husband. She added, “It violates my privacy and the provisions of the Income Tax Ordinance.”

She added that the issue of tax returns is between the taxpayer and the FBR. 

Justice Bandial said that the Court did not say that the accounts were fake, or those were Trust Accounts. He added that the money sent to UK was through bank transaction and the money was equal to the amount of properties purchased.

Justice Bandial asked the judge to reply; first, that you have nothing to do with the bank accounts of your wife. Second, you are unaware of the money withdrawn or deposited in those accounts. Justice Qazi Faez was directed to reply the questions by today.

Justice Bandial said that the court is trying to find a way out and asked the judge to allow them (judges) to do justice. He added, “We have to see the record and have to decide the case in accordance with the law and the facts.”

Justice Bandial said that Sarina Isa’s submissions before the court are vital. He asked the judge that Sarina Isa is before the Supreme Court because of him and filed the petition to exonerate you. Upon that Justice Faez said the apex court had already exonerated him on June 19, 2020.

The Supreme Court in its short order passed on June 19, 2020 had quashed the reference and the abated the proceedings before the Supreme Judicial Council against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

Justice Faez said that he did not lie to court. He further said that he does not yearn for this chair (judge). He said, “God forbid me if I yearn for it.” He said that the lords overlooked his two applications to summon Farogh Naseem. He said after filing the petition on August 7, 2019 the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) passed an order on his back when he was in London. The copy of reference was not supplied to him despites writing letters to the President, he added.

Later, the bench adjourned the hearing till today for further proceedings.

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