President endorses tax ombudsman's order

FTO directs FBR to take action against officers who took coercive action against a taxpayer

ISLAMABAD:

President Asif Ali Zardari has upheld an order issued by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), which directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to take disciplinary action against officers who took coercive measures against a taxpayer while his appeal was still pending before the first appellate forum.

A Gujranwala-based taxpayer, Usman Iqbal Aujla, represented by Advocate Waheed Shahbaz Butt, filed a complaint against certain FBR officials for allegedly recovering funds from his bank accounts without following due legal procedures.

Following a comprehensive investigation and detailed hearings led by Adviser Rana Hassan Akhtar, FTO Dr Asif Jah issued a landmark order against the FBR officials involved in the illegal tax recovery.

The FBR challenged this order before President Zardari, who endorsed the FTO's decision. However, the president added that the FBR officers involved should be given an opportunity to present their side before any action is taken against them.

Advocate Butt criticized the conduct of the FBR officers, describing it as maladministration and an overreach of their administrative duties.

"It is fundamental that all statutes be applied with fairness and justice," he said, adding that public officials, including FBR officers, are constitutionally obligated to act justly.

He added, "Every public functionary, including FBR officers, must adhere to the commands of the Constitution. No one should suffer due to the incompetence of FBR officials. Public functionaries are duty-bound to act according to the law, not personal whims; otherwise, chaos will prevail, which is not in the best interest of Pakistan."