MURREE: Authorities have uncovered a Rs20 million tax fraud in Murree after a revenue official massively undervalued a commercial property worth Rs220 million to just Rs6,000 in order to evade taxes.
Sources within the Murree revenue department revealed that the registry muharrar was immediately suspended by Board of Revenue Member Zaman Wattoo following an on-site inspection of the property at Mall Road, Murree. The inspection confirmed the fraudulent undervaluation, leading to disciplinary action against the tehsildar involved.
The commercial plaza had been valued at Rs220 million according to the Punjab Board of Revenue’s valuation tables, but its value was fraudulently recorded as Rs6,000 to avoid paying Rs20 million in taxes.
Following the discovery, the revenue board member held a meeting with divisional administration to address corruption in the registry branches, and directed swift action to prevent tax evasion and ensure efficient handling of property transfers and related matters. Additionally, a junior clerk, Nasir Mehmood, was suspended for inefficiency and misconduct.
This follows the suspension of four patwaris last week for their involvement in preparing fraudulent documents for communal land.
