Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi is the highest taxpayer in Pakistan as he paid over Rs241 million to the tax authorities in 2018. Additionally, the associations of persons (AOPs) of which Abbasi is a member of, paid Rs769,169 in taxes.
Several parliamentarians have shared income as members of AOPs, considered a separate legal entity for taxing purposes, which means an AOP pays its own taxes, as per Dawn report.
According to a tax directory for parliamentarians that was released by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan's tax payment in the year 2018 increased by Rs178,686 from the year before to Rs282,449.
The heads of two major opposition parties, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif paid Rs294,117 and Rs9m in taxes, respectively. PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari paid Rs2.8 million in taxes.
Cabinet members' tax details
Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar paid Rs22,445 in taxes individually, while his AOP paid Rs59.4 million tax. Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri did not pay any tax in an individual capacity, but through his AOP Rs3.5 million tax was collectively paid.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood paid Rs183,900; Planning Minister Asad Umar paid Rs5.3 million; Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar's paid Rs624,292; Senator and Minister for Information Shibli Faraz paid Rs367,460, while Minister for National Food Security Fakhar Imam submitted Rs5.2 million in taxes.
Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry paid Rs1,698,651 in addition to payment of Rs75,000 by AOP that he is a member of.
Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari paid Rs2.4 million, whereas Defence Minister Pervez Khattak submitted Rs1.8 million. Interior Minister Ijaz Shah paid Rs58,120 in 2018. Information Technology Minister Aminul Haque submitted Rs66,749 in taxes.
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser paid Rs537,730 in an individual capacity and also submitted taxes through his AOP, which collectively paid Rs5,790,500. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had submitted Rs32,000 in taxes, according to the FBR.
The chief minister of Balochistan was the highest taxpayer in this category, paying Rs4.8million tax in 2018. Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah paid Rs1m in an individual capacity and Rs6.3m through his AOP. KP CM Mahmood Khan paid Rs235,982 in taxes. Punjab CM Usman Buzdar did not pay any taxes in the said year.
Taxes paid by senators
Senator and Law Minister Farogh Naseem paid over Rs35 million in 2018 -- highest tax by a senator in the year. Senate Chairperson Sadiq Sanjrani paid Rs1.3 million in taxes during 2018, while Deputy Chairperson Saleem Mandvivalla paid Rs1.5 million.
PPP Senator Raza Rabbani paid Rs1.6 million and an amount of Rs2.6 million was paid in total tax by the AOP he is a member of, while PPP Leader of House Senator Sherry Rehman submitted Rs1.5 million. PML-N parliamentary leader in the Senate Mushahidullah Khan paid Rs316,461 in taxes in 2018.
Non-filer lawmakers:
The lawmakers who did not give taxes include Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda and Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul; MNAs Mohsin Dawar, Zain Hussain Qureshi (PTI) and Naz Baloch (PPP); PTI Senator Faisal Javed; PML-N Senators Shamim Afridi and Rana Maqbool.