Senate panel seeks 20-year tobacco tax record, orders FIA probe in Badshah Wazir case

ISLAMABAD: A Senate sub-committee on Monday sought a comprehensive 20-year record of tobacco tax collection, factories and outstanding dues after the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) failed to provide data previously requested by lawmakers, disrupting the panel’s review of the sector.

The meeting of the sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics was chaired by Senator Saifullah Abro and attended by Senators Mohammad Talha Mahmood, Dilawar Khan and Hidayat Ullah Khan. During the proceedings, FBR Chief of Sales Tax Javed Iqbal Tarar was asked to leave after he did not submit the information earlier sought by the committee.

The panel voiced concern over incomplete information regarding tax collection from tobacco manufacturers. It noted that customs had earlier placed tobacco-related taxes at Rs75 billion, while later deliberations indicated that around Rs40 billion remained unpaid. The committee directed the FBR to furnish documentary proof of outstanding taxes, a full list of tobacco companies and their brands, details of imported raw materials, and revenue and tax collection figures covering the past two decades. It also asked for records of all registered tobacco factories during the same period.

Officials informed the committee that Pakistan Tobacco Company and Philip Morris Pakistan were among the leading taxpayers in the tobacco sector. The panel was also told that Rangers had been deployed to support the FBR in efforts to check tax evasion.

PID campaigns and committee directives

The Press Information Department (PID) also briefed the committee on media awareness campaigns conducted for different ministries. According to the briefing, these campaigns were broadcast on 92 television channels, while the relevant sponsoring ministry bore the cost. The committee was informed that anti-illegal cigarette sale campaigns had been run on behalf of the FBR.

Senator Abro directed the PID to provide complete details of media contracts, campaign spending and agreements with television channels. He also said the department was still functioning without a centralised system.

FIA probe ordered in Badshah Wazir case

The committee further directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to investigate the corruption case involving Badshah Wazir, with a particular focus on raw materials allegedly imported for tax-exempt areas that did not reach their stated destinations.

Lawmakers were told that in April 2026, Badshah Wazir was sentenced to life imprisonment for attempting to smuggle 360 kilogrammes of heroin hidden in sanitation pipes in a container meant for export to the United Kingdom.

Narcotics control and Anmol alias Pinky case

On narcotics control, officials told the committee that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) accounted for about 49 per cent of the country’s total seizures last year. The panel was also informed that patterns of drug abuse were moving away from plant-based substances toward synthetic and chemical drugs.

The committee discussed whether confiscated narcotics could be used, within the legal framework, for pharmaceutical or research purposes in order to generate revenue instead of being destroyed.

The South DIG of Karachi Police told the committee that more than 105,000 narcotics cases had been registered and around 127,000 suspects arrested between 2013 and 2026. The panel also reviewed the high-profile drug trafficking case involving Anmol, also known as Pinky.

Expressing concern over differing accounts of her arrest, the convener questioned the extensive police escort provided to her during court appearances and directed agencies to examine alleged links with influential individuals. Officials told the committee that 28 cases had been registered against her, 35 delivery riders associated with her network had been arrested, and that certain Nigerian nationals in Lahore’s Nishtar Colony were allegedly connected to the network.

The convener summoned the inspectors general of police of Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan to attend the next meeting and instructed all departments to submit the required material in advance.