New committees across Pakistan to review exporter grievances, audit proposals and operational issues to improve ease of doing business
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has constituted five Exporter Facilitation Committees across Pakistan to address tax-related issues faced by exporters, provide an effective dispute resolution mechanism and prevent unnecessary harassment by tax officials.
According to an official notification, the committees have been established to facilitate exports, resolve procedural and operational issues, promote voluntary tax compliance and reduce unnecessary litigation between exporters and tax authorities.
The FBR said the initiative is aimed at creating a transparent and fair tax administration by providing exporters with a structured platform for the amicable resolution of disputes.
Terms of Reference (TORs)
The committees have been assigned the following responsibilities:
• Serve as a facilitation, mediation and dispute resolution forum between exporters and the FBR to promote voluntary compliance, reduce unnecessary litigation and ensure fair and transparent tax administration.
• Review procedural and day-to-day operational issues arising from field formations that adversely affect exporters and resolve such matters through monthly review meetings.
• Examine cases where audit or any other coercive action is proposed against an exporter. Such cases will be placed before the relevant committee, which will decide by majority vote, provided at least three voting members are present.
• In the event of a tie, the committee chairman will issue a short order deciding the matter, which will be subject to periodic review by the FBR.
• For the purpose of the notification, an exporter means a person whose exports constitute 80 per cent or more of annual turnover in a tax year.
1. Central Exporter Facilitation Committee
The Central Committee will deal with exporters having annual exports exceeding Rs10 billion.
Members
| Member | Designation |
| Zubair Bilal | Member Inland Revenue (Operations), FBR – Chairman |
| Zubair Motiwala | Former Chairman, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) |
| Musadaq Zulqarnain, TI | Chairman, Interloop Limited |
| Muhammad Javed Bilwani | Former President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) |
| Relevant Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue | Jurisdiction over the concerned case |
| Arshad Nawaz Cheena | Chief (Revenue Operations), FBR |
| President, FPCCI | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
2. Karachi Exporter Facilitation Committee
Jurisdiction
• Large Taxpayers Office (LTO) Karachi
• Corporate Tax Office-I (CTO-I) Karachi
• Corporate Tax Office-II (CTO-II) Karachi
• Regional Tax Office-II (RTO-II) Karachi
• RTO Sukkur
• RTO Hyderabad
• RTO Quetta
Members
| Member | Designation |
| Ahmed Kamal | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, CTO-II Karachi – Chairman |
| Faisal Ghareeb | CEO, Ghareeb Sons (Pvt.) Ltd. |
| Muhammad Yaqoob Ahmed | Chairman, Artistic Milliners |
| Naveed Ahmed | Chairman, Indus Dyeing & Manufacturing Company Ltd. and Chairman, APTMA (Sindh & Balochistan) |
| Shaikh Zahid Masood | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, CTO-I Karachi |
| President, KCCI | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
3. Lahore Exporter Facilitation Committee
Jurisdiction
• LTO Lahore
• CTO Lahore
• RTO-I Lahore
• RTO-II Lahore
• RTO Sahiwal
Members
| Member | Designation |
| Yasir Ali | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, LTO Lahore – Chairman |
| Shahzad Saleem | CEO, Nishat Chunian |
| Azam Malik | CEO, Leathertex Gloving |
| Amir Abdullah | Diamond Sapphire |
| Munir Sadiq | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, CTO Lahore |
| Jibran Masroor | Commissioner Inland Revenue, LTO Lahore |
| President, LCCI | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
4. Faisalabad Exporter Facilitation Committee
Jurisdiction
• LTO Multan
• RTO Faisalabad
• RTO Sargodha
• RTO Bahawalpur
Members
| Member | Designation |
| Dr. Shah Khan | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, RTO Faisalabad – Chairman |
| Farrukh Ahmed | Director, Kalash (Pvt.) Ltd. |
| Khurram Mukhtar | Patron-in-Chief, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) and Director, Baksh Ellahi & Sons |
| Sohail Pasha | CEO, Riaz Enterprises |
| Sarmad Qureshi | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, RTO Multan |
| Badar Ali | Commissioner Inland Revenue, LTO Multan |
| President, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
| President, Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
5. Sialkot Exporter Facilitation Committee
Jurisdiction
• RTO Sialkot
• RTO Gujranwala
Members
| Member | Designation |
| Khalid Jamil | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, RTO Gujranwala – Chairman |
| Ehtisham Mazhar | President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry |
| Ajaz Khokhar | Ashraf Industries |
| Khawar Anwar Khwaja | CEO, Anwar Khwaja Industries |
| Ms. Amna Faiz Bhatti | Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, RTO-I Lahore |
| Dr. Qurrat-ul-Ain | Commissioner Inland Revenue, RTO Sialkot |
| President, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
| President, Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Ex-officio (Non-voting member) |
Initiative to support exporters
The FBR said the newly established committees are intended to strengthen engagement with the export sector by providing a structured mechanism for resolving tax-related grievances, reviewing audit proposals and minimising unnecessary coercive actions.
The tax authority expects the initiative to improve the ease of doing business, encourage voluntary tax compliance, reduce litigation and support Pakistan’s export-led growth strategy by ensuring exporters receive prompt, transparent and fair treatment.