A dramatic turn of events unfolded in the Senate Standing Committee on Finance as a member, Senator Faisal Vawda, alleged that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers threatened to kill him and destroy his businesses for exposing corruption related to the board's purchase of new vehicles.
During the heated meeting, Faisal Vawda, waving a list of 54 allegedly "top corrupt officers", accused the FBR of bypassing bidding procedures and awarding a contract for 1,010 expensive vehicles worth Rs6 billion to a company without advertising, while harassing another company that offered cheaper vehicles.
He further claimed that FBR officers remove government stickers from vehicles and use them for personal purposes. "I have proof that I've also got confirmed by a foreign firm."
“I live in Karachi and know very well how to respond to such direct threats,” Vawda stated, adding that he would not seek help from cybercrime authorities or the FIA nor would he file an FIR, but would respond in a way that “their generations will remember for the rest of their lives.”
He further claimed he knew where 100 Vigo trucks were parked. "When I exposed corruption, Ali Saleh, Shahid Soomro, Sajjad Siddiqui and other officers threatened to kill me and shut down my businesses," he alleged.
The chairman of the Senate committee, Saleem Mandviwala, echoed Vawda’s claims, revealing he had also received similar threats.
FBR chairman denies corruption
In response, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial rejected the corruption allegations and assured that the officers involved in issuing threats would not be spared. He recommended referring the matter to the FIA for investigation and also vowed to conduct an internal inquiry.
Langrial maintained that the purchase of vehicles had been approved by the cabinet and followed due process. However, he agreed to freeze the purchase until the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority board and the Senate committee were satisfied.
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