The federal government can question Pakistanis about their assets located out of the country, the Lahore High Court (LHC) observed on Wednesday.
The observation emerged from the combined hearing of multiple petitions against the imposition of tax on overseas properties of Chief Minister (CM) Punjab’s son and Member of National Assembly (MNA), Chaudhry Moonis Elahi, the News reported.
During the hearing, the LHC bench asked whether Pakistanis can be questioned about their assets abroad. Moonis Elahi’s lawyer replied that Pakistanis cannot be questioned about their assets abroad.
The lawyer added that Pakistani authorities can investigate Pakistani citizens about their assets located in the country only. Pakistani laws are not applicable to assets of Pakistanis located overseas.
The bench also observed that the judiciary can intervene in this matter. The judiciary can also ask for details about how Pakistani citizens made assets outside the country.
The bench further ruled that the federal government is empowered to question Pakistani citizens about their overseas assets. Moonis Elahi’s responded that the federal government can only ask about the income and it cannot collect tax from these assets.
