ISLAMABAD: Dawn has learned through trustworthy sources that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to suspend another senior tax official who requested an adjournment in a case involving Rs456 million in tax payments for allegedly showing a lack of commitment to resolving tax-related issues.
According to them, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a request for the suspension or removal of Sahibzada Abdul Mateen, the chief commissioner of the Medium Taxpayers Office (MTO), Karachi, from FBR Chairman Zubair Tiwana.
After Yousif Hyder Shaikh, chief commissioner-IR, Large Taxpayers Office, Islamabad, who was suspended with immediate effect for 120 days on April 23 for the same charges of requesting an adjournment in a case in the Islamabad High Court, Mr. Mateen will be the second senior officer in the Inland Revenue Service (IRS).
Dawn was informed by a senior tax official that the prime minister is the appropriate authority in these situations. Although the notification is anticipated to be sent on Thursday (today), the official stated, “As of today, I can confirm that no notification has been issued [about suspension of the officer].”
The matter concerns a request for an adjournment in a tax case that is now ongoing before the Sindh High Court, according to the source at MTO Karachi. There was no indication during the adjournment that the tax was waived or that a promise to not pursue it was given.
According to the source, the officer would be suspended for 120 days by notification from the FBR.
Based on an intelligence assessment, the FBR chairman moved more than twenty senior tax officers, notwithstanding their adamant opposition to being removed from their positions. Additionally, he dismissed the IRS tax policy member who served as the FBR’s official spokesperson.
The chairman of the FBR has not appointed a spokeswoman and has not answered multiple mails seeking comment on the issue from him or his IRS member operation. Mr. Tiwana, all other top tax officers have been placed on special duty (OSD), while the IRS member operation and Customs member policy are happy with their existing duties.
A campaign to remove senior tax officers from the IRS and Customs departments and designate them OSD has been started, based on intelligence information. Because of their ties to those in charge, many policemen with tarnished reputations manage to hold high-level posts in the field, raising suspicions that a selective approach was employed throughout the process.
