ISLAMABAD: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) office has clarified that the FTO has neither held the officer guilty of misconduct nor concluded that the senior Member of FBR/IRS has committed maladministration.
According to the clarification issued by the FTO office on Friday, reference is invited to the news item published in Business Recorder on November 4, 2026 under the heading concerning the Federal Tax Ombudsman’s proceedings against a senior Member of FBR/IRS, reporting that the FTO had directed FBR to conduct a formal fact-finding inquiry against the officer and had issued landmark recommendations against him.
The report, as published, materially misrepresents the nature and scope of the Findings/Recommendations dated November 2, 2026 and is likely to create an incorrect impression about the conclusions reached by this Forum.
For the sake of accuracy, the following clarifications are necessary:
No finding of guilt or misconduct: The FTO has neither held the officer guilty of misconduct nor concluded that he committed maladministration. The complainant’s allegations concerning the unexplained status of an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR), including the portal entry reflecting a date of order as 12.09.2025 despite non-service of any order, were found to require verification.
Nature of fact-finding: The Findings observed that, in the interest of justice and fair play, the competent authority should conduct a formal fact-finding inquiry into the complainant’s allegations before proceeding further. This observation should not be portrayed as a finding of guilt or as an order initiating disciplinary proceedings against the officer.
Actual recommendation: The specific recommendation made to the Chairman, FBR, was to ensure that a self-contained statement of Nasir Iqbal, Member FBR, be obtained and shared with this Forum within 45 days as the officer failed to respond to the notices issued by this forum.
Scope of proceedings: The complaint was principally concerned with ascertaining the whereabouts and ultimate fate of an appeal reportedly heard by ATIR on 09.08.2024, and the discrepancy between the status reflected on the ATIR portal and the complainant’s assertion that no final order had been served. The FTO did not examine or adjudicate the merits of that appeal.
The FTO expects responsible reporting of its proceedings and decisions, particularly where the reputation of public functionaries and the institutional credibility of statutory bodies are involved. Accurate reporting is essential to avoid attributing findings, directions or conclusions to the Forum which it has not made, FTO office added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
Comments