KARACHI (November 06 2009): The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is going to acquire the services of prominent lawyers for handling legal issues and the cases, which are in litigation at different forums including Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADRC), Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) and courts, on fast rack basis. Sources told Business Recorder on Thursday that after the establishment of Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) there was no panel of advocates to pursue the pending cases.

Keeping the fact in view, Director General, RTO, Quetta has sent a proposal for constitution of panel of lawyers at RTOs to pursue the cases in courts, they said, adding that he (DG RTO, Quetta) has termed formation of the proposed panels necessary for smoothly dealing with the legal issues and pending cases.

The sources said that a large number of cases were in litigation at different forums including Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee (ADRC), Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) and courts, which are needed to be settled on immediate basis. To a question, they said the Board had failed in handling the cases properly, as it lacked competent officers/legal experts to deal with the issue.

"Hopefully, the proposed panels would be formed at RTOs shortly," the sources said adding that Chairman FBR while appreciating the proposal has directed the concerned officials to identify good/competent lawyers to be inducted in the panel that would be formed at RTOs as well as other stations. They said that with formation of the panels the process to get the pending cases disposed off would accelerate.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2009