Karachi, July 4, 2024 – In a sweeping move aimed at cleansing its ranks of alleged incompetence and corruption, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has relegated a cohort of 27 officers to Officer on Special Duty (OSD) status.
This action, detailed in two separate notifications, marks a significant step in the FBR’s ongoing efforts to overhaul its organizational integrity.
According to sources within the FBR, the latest batch includes 16 senior officers from the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) and 11 officers from the Pakistan Customs Service (PCS), all holding the rank of BS-20. These officers have been reassigned to the Admin Pool, effectively removing them from their active roles pending further administrative action.
This move comes as part of a broader initiative by the federal tax agency to root out individuals deemed responsible for unethical practices detrimental to its operations. The FBR had reportedly compiled a list identifying senior officers allegedly involved in various forms of malpractice, prompting these stringent measures.
Earlier interventions saw the first wave of senior tax officers similarly placed in the Admin Pool, albeit during a critical phase for revenue collection, which necessitated a temporary halt in further actions. Now, following the conclusion of the fiscal year 2023-24 and having achieved its revenue collection targets, the FBR has resumed its purge of alleged malcontents.
List of IRS BS-20 Officers Moved to Admin Pool:
1. Kazi Afzal, Commissioner, Rahim Yar Khan Zone, Regional Tax Office, Bahawalpur.
2. Mohammed Nasser Janjua, Commissioner, Zone-V, Medium Taxpayers Office, Karachi.
3. Zahoor Ahmad Panwar, Commissioner, Zone-III, Regional Tax Office I, Karachi.
4. Dr. Tariq Ghani, Director-II, Directorate of Law, Karachi.
5. Muhammad Abid, Commissioner, Zone-I, Regional Tax Office, Sargodha.
6. Ms. Humaira Maryam, Commissioner, WHT, Regional Tax Office, Lahore.
7. Muhammad Naveed Akhtar, Commissioner, Zone-I, Regional Tax Office, Lahore.
8. Muhammad Ali, Director, Directorate of Internal Audit (Inland Revenue), Karachi.
9. Naeem Babar, Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals-III), Lahore.
10. Zulqarnain Ali Shaheen Haral, Commissioner, Zone-II, Regional Tax Office, Gujranwala.
11. Abdul Qadir Shaikh, Commissioner, Zone-IV, Regional Tax Office II, Karachi.
12. Pir Khalid Ahmed Qureshi, Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals-I), Multan.
13. Muhammad Asim Khattak, Commissioner, Zone-IV, Corporate Tax Office, Karachi.
14. Dr. Razi-ur-Rehman Khan, Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals), Sialkot.
15. Barrister Nowsherwan Khan, Commissioner, Special Zone for Builders & Developers, Regional Tax Office, Islamabad.
16. Fazli Malik, Commissioner, Corporate Zone, Regional Tax Office, Peshawar.
List of PCS BS-20 Officers Moved to Admin Pool:
1. Dr. Akhtar Hussain, Collector, Collectorate of Customs (Appeals), Islamabad.
2. Muhammad Adnan Akram, Director, Directorate of Transit Trade, Lahore.
3. Ms. Iram Maqbool Aamir, Director General (OPS), Directorate General of Law & Prosecution, Islamabad.
4. Malik Kamran Azam Khan Rajar, Chief, Federal Board of Revenue (Hq), Islamabad.
5. Khalid Hussain Jamali, Chief (PAC-Customs), Federal Board of Revenue (Hq), Islamabad.
6. Raza, Collector, Collectorate of Customs (Adjudication-I), Karachi.
7. Sami-ul-Haq, Director, Directorate of Post Clearance Audit (North), Islamabad.
8. Ms. Ambreen Ahmad Tarar, Chief (DRD & Exemptions), Federal Board of Revenue (Hq), Islamabad.
9. Amer Rashid Sheikh, Chief, Federal Board of Revenue (Hq), Islamabad.
10. Naveed Iqbal, Director, Directorate of Transit Trade, Gwadar.
11. Muhammad Ahsan Khan, Collector, Collectorate of Customs (Adjudication), Quetta.
These officers, now in OSD status, await further decisions from the FBR regarding their future within the organization. The move underscores the FBR’s commitment to enhancing transparency and efficiency in tax administration, crucial for sustaining fiscal discipline and meeting national revenue targets.
Authorities expect this stringent action to serve as a deterrent against malfeasance within the ranks of the FBR, signaling a new era of accountability and responsibility in Pakistan’s tax administration framework. As the situation develops, stakeholders will keenly observe the impacts of these measures on organizational dynamics and revenue management strategies moving forward.