LAHORE, Pakistan – A corporate whistleblower has submitted a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif alleging widespread corruption and bribery within the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA). Abdul Qayyum Hafeez claims that PRA officials, including Appeals Commissioner Zaigham Abbass, accepted bribes in exchange for annulling or reducing massive fines levied against tax evaders.
Hafeez specifically cites three PRA orders against Baskin Robbins, a multinational ice cream company, totaling over PKR 3.3 billion (approximately USD 11.5 million) for GST and tax evasion. He alleges that these fines were either annulled or drastically reduced by Commissioner Abbass after bribes were paid.
“This illicit activity is not only depriving the nation of much-needed revenue but also eroding public trust in government institutions,” Hafeez stated in his letter.
Hafeez further claims that this is not an isolated incident, pointing to a pattern of similar actions by Commissioner Abbass in recent months involving orders exceeding PKR 15 billion. He questions why the PRA has neither appealed these decisions nor modified its procedures if the Commissioner’s rulings were legitimate.
“This indicates a large-scale corruption ring-operation in PRA,” Hafeez alleges, “through which PRA first issues large fines on tax evaders and then annuls the same orders by allegedly accepting large bribes.”
Hafeez has called on Chief Minister Sharif to take immediate action, including:
* Formation of a High-Level Inquiry Committee: An independent committee should be established to thoroughly investigate the allegations.
* Swift Action Against Corrupt Officials: If the allegations are proven, involved officials should be terminated, arrested, and prosecuted.
* Recovery of Misappropriated Funds: All misappropriated funds should be recovered and returned to the national treasury.
* Strengthening PRA’s Internal Controls: Measures should be implemented to prevent future corruption.
This explosive allegation comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of government institutions in Pakistan. Chief Minister Sharif has yet to publicly respond to the allegations. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the fight against corruption in Punjab.
