PM Shehbaz Sharif fired 12 senior FBR officials for alleged corruption

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) fired its 12 senior officials following the order of Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif. This decision came regarding the alleged involvement of fired FBR officers in corrupt practices.

Fired FBR officers did not implement the track and trace system for tax collection introduced in 2019. As a result, PM Shehbaz Sharif strongly criticized the tax collection body and ordered to fire those FBR officials responsible for effective tax collection implementation.

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PM Shehbaz called the FBR’s track and trace system a cruel joke that failed to improve tax collection in the tobacco, fertilizer, cement, and sugar industries. It came when he was presiding over a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad.

He also threatened to bring responsible FBR officials’ involvement in corruption and criminal negligence to justice. He called it fraudulent practice because there was no punishment clause in the FBR’s trace and track system.

Hence, PM Shehbaz ordered an inquiry committee’s establishment. It will investigate the system and report back in three days. He also instructed authorities to dismiss relevant FBR officials during the meeting.

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Following the order of PM Shehbaz Sharif, FBR fired its top 12 senior officials. They made them Officers on Special Duty (ODDs). An OSD is a government officer without duty or waiting for a posting order or dismissal.

Senior FBR officials, including Member Customs (Operation) and Member Inland Revenue (Policy), were given OSD status. The tax collection body FBR has transferred them to the administrative group of the board in response to PM Shehbaz’s critical statements regarding their performance.

Secretary Management HR-IR-1 is the one who has taken all of these actions. However, this action has caused anger among FBR officials. They believed that the senior political leadership treated them on insignificant matters unfairly or sometimes on matters, over which they had no power at all.