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The Finance Bill 2016 caught everyone by surprise in the real estate sector, especially persons with black money and short term speculators. For them it is a nightmare that FBR can value the properties at fair market value, which has taxation repercussions regarding source of investment and thereafter can levy Capital Gain Tax (CGT) if the asset is held for less than five years. The whole real estate market is in shock and allegedly, in some major housing entities the business is almost at a halt. There are visible signs that strikes are being arranged in some major cities of Pakistan but so far no defined agenda in terms of demands has been made public especially by any real estate dealers association. Interestingly, the hearsay is that the two major amendments would discourage foreign remittance to Pakistan. If overseas Pakistanis remit their money through normal banking channels per Income Tax Ordinance 2001, they are exempt from tax and the remitted mon...