Islamabad, December 16, 2025 — President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday administered the oath of office to Zafar ul Haq Hijazi as the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr, marking a new chapter in Pakistan’s taxpayer grievance redressal system.
Zafar ul Haq Hijazi is a seasoned Chartered Accountant and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP), with more than four decades of professional experience spanning taxation, corporate and capital market regulation, audit oversight, financial management, and advisory services. He has previously served in key leadership roles, including Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and Chairman of the Audit and Oversight Board of Pakistan, bringing extensive regulatory and governance expertise to the FTO office.
After the oath-taking, Hijazi called on President Zardari, who underscored the importance of increasing public awareness about the role of the Federal Tax Ombudsman in facilitating taxpayers and resolving grievances. The President advised the new Ombudsman to leverage modern technology to improve efficiency and ensure the timely disposal of complaints, emphasizing the need for speedy, transparent, and cost-free relief for aggrieved citizens. He also stressed expanding the institution’s outreach nationwide to strengthen public trust in the tax administration system.
Zafar ul Haq Hijazi has replaced Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah, who assumed office on September 30, 2021. During Dr. Jah’s tenure, the FTO witnessed a significant transformation, with complaints rising sharply from 2,867 in 2021 to 35,716 in 2025, reflecting growing taxpayer confidence in the grievance redressal mechanism. Under his leadership, the FTO Secretariat implemented 98 percent of its recommendations, while approximately 97 percent were upheld by the President of Pakistan.
Overall, the FTO received 64,664 complaints during Dr. Jah’s tenure—exceeding the combined total of complaints received over the previous five tenures spanning 21 years. The office also facilitated recoveries exceeding PKR 23 billion and achieved an average complaint resolution time of just 34 days.
Beyond national achievements, Dr. Jah’s tenure enhanced Pakistan’s global standing in international ombudsman forums, with Pakistani representatives securing key positions in global organizations. The establishment of the Diplomatic Grievance Redressal Cell further demonstrated the FTO’s commitment to addressing diplomatic and tax-related grievances in Islamabad.