Sharif family’s tax returns turned out to be handy for JIT

E-Paper | October 01, 2026

Sharif family’s tax returns turned out to be handy for JIT

Mubarak Zeb Khan Published July 11, 2017

ISLAMABAD: The final report of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) revealed that the state’s tax machinery had a very limited tax record of the Sharif family.

The available income tax returns and wealth statements, however, emerged as a leading source of evidence in probing the assets of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and other members of his family.

Read complete text of the JIT report here.

According to the report, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had started filing income tax returns in 1983-84. However, the Federal Board of Revenue did not provide the record of his tax returns/wealth statements to JIT for the assessment years 1997-98, 2001-02, and from assessment years 2004-05 to 2007-08.

During the assessment years 2004-05 to 2007-08, the premier did not file wealth statements.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar did not file income tax returns for almost 10 years — from 1981-82 to 2001-02. According to the report, limited tax record of Mr. Dar was available with the FBR.

Mr Dar’s income tax returns are missing from 1981-82 till 1985-86. Wealth statements were not provided by FBR for assessment years 1994-95 till 2001-02 and tax year 2002-03 till 2007-08 despite repeated requests.

Hussain Nawaz, the prime minister’s son, started filing tax returns in 1991-92. He was a student at that time and owned assets in the form of shares of companies. He filed tax returns till 2003.

Hassan Nawaz, the prime minister’s other son, started filing income tax returns in 1995-96. Mian Nawaz Sharif was managing the assets owned by Hassan Nawaz till 1995-96 as he was a minor. Mr Sharif had been filing Hassan’s income tax returns since 1989-90 till 1995-96. Hassan Nawaz moved to the United Kingdom in 1994. After studies he started his business and is known to have set up 10 companies.

Maryam Safdar, daughter of the prime minister, started filing returns in 1991-92. The FBR did not provide a complete tax record—income tax return/wealth statement of Maryam Nawaz were not provided for assessment years 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2004-05 and 2008-09. Wealth statements were not available for most of these assessment years.

According to the report, the income tax returns for year 1991-92, 2004-05 and 2008-09 were not filed by Maryam Nawaz.

Muhammad Safdar, Maryam’s husband, has filed his income tax returns only for 2013-14 and 2014-15. The wealth statement was filed during tax year 2014-15 only. Mr. Safdar has not filed income tax returns/return of wealth tax and wealth statement since 1990.

The tax returns of Asma Nawaz, Mr Sharif’s younger daughter, were filed by her father from 1995-96. However, she started filing her returns in 2001-02, but never filed a wealth statement.

Mrs. Kulsoom Nawaz had been filing returns since 1984-85. The late Mian Muhammad Sharif had been filing tax returns/wealth statements since 1969-70.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2017

Follow Dawn Business on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook for insights on business, finance and tech from Pakistan and across the world.

Panamagate

Pakistan

Mubarak Zeb Khan is a senior staff correspondent for Dawn, bringing over two decades of experience to his coverage of political economy, trade, taxation, and public finance. He is a former Innovation Journalism fellow at Stanford University and a Chevening Scholar. He tweets @mubarakzebdawn.

From JIT to NAB: why a well-reasoned final judgement on Panama Papers case is crucial

JIT report carries seeds of upheaval

A timeline of the Panamagate JIT's 60-day investigation

Dr Khan

Jul 11, 2017 10:18am

What message the Shareef family is giving to law abiding citizens of Pakistan?.They deserved severe punishment to set good examples for all Pakistanis

Recommend 0

Ayub

Jul 11, 2017 10:46am

The income tax returns of all politicians and Government employees living beyond means without any source of valid income must be scrutinise by the same JIT in phases starting with bigwigs and report submitted for action where ever found guilty.

Recommend 0

Nirala

Jul 11, 2017 10:50am

A country wide campaign is needed to be run in Pakistan to find out the illegal income of all corrupt officials in Pakistan beyond means of their known sources of income, because illegal income and bribes are very common in Pakistan and the corrupt people are proud to earn the money by such means this is really a very good start in Pakistan from the top. They (corrupt employees/politicians) must be trialed in the court of law, money must be recovered, they may be dismissed and punished compulsorily.

Recommend 0

Khanm

Jul 11, 2017 10:55am

@Dr Khan May i know who would punish them ....there is no net large enough to catch a big fish... unless is is done by the instructions of latent but obvious force...

Recommend 0

Omer

Jul 11, 2017 12:03pm

I think we are jumping the stick here. Although we see these discrepancies with regards to their tax returns, the question is will the Pakistan SC be able to deliver justice and set an example for everyone in the nation. At the moment, the problem in Pakistan is that corruption runs from the grass root levels all the way to the top. So even if we eradicate corruption from the top, corruption at the grass root levels will not be alleviated. Each and every citizen of Pakistan need to take this up to themselves and say no to corruption regardless of how much problems it may create for them. Only after each individual rectifies his actions for the greater good of the country, true results will come about.

Recommend 0

Parveez

Jul 11, 2017 12:07pm

This family and many others like them have and still sucking the blood of our brothers and sisters and our children's. This must stop and long imprisonment, and 100% of their assets in Pakistan and abroad should be paid back. Billions of dollars will help to put Pakistan back in the right path. Special courts should be set up. We all know who most of these people are and they must be stopped from leaving the country. I hope and pray that this is the start and birth of new Pakistan. People like us who left Pakistan so many years ago can come back and settle down. A lot of us a home sick.

Recommend 0

Engineer Fahad Shafiq

Jul 11, 2017 12:26pm

We have need to change our system. They should be given severe punishment. Furthermore all their property and assets should be taken government custody.

Recommend 0

freeadssite.com.pk

Jul 11, 2017 12:34pm

There should some sort of process for not filing the tax return, like penalties and then a reference/case should be filed in court. But if the institutions don't have process and if they don't implement then it is not possible and then there should no tax for Govt/Private employees. this is injustice as poor/middle class pay tax because they work for some and rich the business don't pay tax because they can play with tax returns.

Recommend 0

Tariq

Jul 11, 2017 12:56pm

It was always on the card the once a genuine and impartial scrutiny is done by the authorities i think none of majority people in assemblies had chance to run for election. It is by virtue of politicized institution that they people done so much corruption in the country yet remain un touched. JIT prove that once there is will there is no way one can achieve the goal. JIT is a nation heroes and people like them and resolve of Judges can shift the country back on track.

Recommend 0

umair

Jul 11, 2017 01:02pm

If all politicians, business Tycooons' etc income Tax and Wealth statements are checked, I am sure no different picture will be there.

Recommend 0

Myth

Jul 11, 2017 01:12pm

Politicians are saint. Don't say anything about them. You poor people are born to serve them as you can't stand against them. They own you. They drive you. You are mindless, heartless people with no courage and dignity living from hand to mouth. Stop commenting as nothing will happen. They will cut a side deal and you will be standing with you poker faces blaming the system.

Recommend 0

aleem

Jul 11, 2017 01:37pm

No surprise there as everybody was expecting such information. SC should extend this scrutiny to other politicians, generals and bureaucrats gradually starting with the top. You will find that it is a norm rather than an exception. SC should go one step further and try all the concerned officials responsible for maintaining the tax files as they have not been doing the job required of them of collecting taxes as required by the state of pakistan. If exemplary punishments are handed to the top guys than system can be set right very quickly and pakistan can start making progress. Just imagine this so called rich family of Sharifs lead such a luxurious life and have paid very little tax in the last 30 years. Furthermore our PM and CM of Punjab waste so much government money to maintain this lifestyle on government expenditure. Just calculate the money spent on his lavish foreign tours and money spent on upkeep of PM house while poor people are dying everyday of hunger and disease.

Recommend 0

usman

Jul 11, 2017 02:46pm

If FBR was unable to provide a decade ago records, on that grounds how could some one be considered Guilty of misconduct.

Recommend 0

BAXAR

Jul 11, 2017 03:49pm

@Khanm " May i know who would punish them" No need to punish them, they are self reliant on this matter. You just need to expose their lies, they'll do the rest.

Recommend 0

Sailor

Jul 11, 2017 03:55pm

@usman Please read JIT report before making such comment

Recommend 0

BAXAR

Jul 11, 2017 04:11pm

@usman "If FBR was unable to provide a decade ago records, on that grounds how could some one be considered Guilty of misconduct." It is the in-charge of FBR that we are talking about. The PM is responsible of the conduct of FBR.

Recommend 0

Faraz

Jul 11, 2017 05:59pm

Everyone should be questioned. Not a single business man files his tax return properly. Including freelancers.

Recommend 0

Dr. Syed, Canada

Jul 11, 2017 06:02pm

OMG, billions are drained into personal accounts thru non-payments of due taxes while country's economy damaged - no care. We can't even imagine to do same outside Pakistan.

Recommend 0

Abdulkarim

Jul 12, 2017 10:53am

I am sure if you check Mr.Imran Khan's tax returns,you would find similar gaps.This isn't some kind of proof in and of itself.

Recommend 0

Branded Content

28 years of McDonald’s Pakistan: celebrating the local partners behind the Golden Arches

The milestone highlighted the structural evolution of the company's local procurement model.

Etihad Town Sialkot delivers Possession ahead of time

The project was delivered within just 1.5 years against a 3-year payment plan, while commercial possession had already been handed over to customers in January 2026.