Appointment of FBR chief: Court seeks comments from establishment secretary, FBR

Officials asked to reply by March 7.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notices to chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Secretary Establishment Division on a petition challenging the appointment of chairman FBR.

The petitioner, Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, a member of the Inland Revenue Service (IRS), contended that the FBR chairman was appointed in violation of the Federal Board of Revenue Act, 2007.

Petitioner’s lawyer argued that the position was of vital importance and the new FBR chairman was not qualified enough to hold the post as it called for a person having background in economics, taxation and management.

He contended that Hakeem was also performing his duties at the revenue division of the FBR.

Ahmed told the court that the positions of FBR chairman and Secretary Revenue Division were purely cadre-based and these positions could not be filled by inducting non-cadre people.

“According to the FBR Act, 2007, the government is bound to appoint a most competent person having relevant experience through transparent process, but the new FBR chairman does not qualify the criteria,” he argued.

The lawyer requested the court to declare the appointment null and void, and direct the chairman FBR to return all the benefits he availed since his appointment.

The IHC judge, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, while entertaining the petition, sought replies from the respondents by March 7.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2013.