Islamabad, June 30, 2025: A crackdown under income tax regulations and anti-money laundering laws is currently in progress, targeting Pakistani nationals who have invested a minimum of 2 million AED in real estate property within Dubai and the UAE. These individuals are being tracked through immigration records held by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), sources confirmed.
Using immigration records, authorities can trace property buyers and verify whether their real estate investments in the UAE have been mentioned in their asset declarations or not. According to the report, a significant number of Pakistani nationals have failed to disclose their UAE real estate holdings, along with rental earnings or profit gains, in their tax filings in Pakistan.
Furthermore, many have yet to settle the Capital Value Tax (CVT) applicable on overseas holdings.
Several thousand Pakistani nationals possess 10-year UAE golden residency visas (Iqama), granted on the basis of their investments. These individuals present their golden residency cards at immigration counters in Pakistan, where the information is scanned and stored in the FIA’s immigration database.
READ MORE: Govt Empowers FBR With Harsh Tax Laws for Businesses
The golden residency document includes essential particulars like the holder’s name, passport ID, occupation listed as property investor, and dates of issuance and expiration.
READ MORE: Punjab Initiates Property Sealing Drive Against Tax Defaulters
Tax professionals mention that although a bilateral tax agreement exists between Pakistan and the UAE, allowing for data sharing, the UAE has apparently not handed over such details to Pakistani authorities. Under the Automatic Exchange of Information framework, financial records are not disclosed because UAE bank accounts are typically opened using the residency ID rather than a Pakistani passport.
This has led to widespread non-disclosure of property holdings in the UAE by Pakistani citizens. In many cases, unofficial money transfer systems are used for these investments due to their affordability and ease of access.
