ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has conferred Tamgha-i-Imtiaz on Zubair Bilal, a BS-21 officer of the Inland Revenue Service and presently posted as Member (Inland Revenue-Operations), Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
It is one of Pakistan’s civil awards, given by the Government of Pakistan to recognize outstanding services of Bilal in the field of public services within the tax machinery and taxpayer facilitation.
Among the seventy-plus recipients honoured with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in the Public Service category, tax circles have taken particular note of the inclusion of Zubair Bilal, a BS-21 officer of the Inland Revenue Service presently posted as Member (Inland Revenue-Operations), FBR. He assumed charge of the post in December 2025, having earlier served as Chief Commissioner-IR at the Large Taxpayers Office.
Tax practitioners, business/trade and revenue circles have welcomed the recognition, describing it as a fitting acknowledgment of an officer known within FBR for his professional integrity, discipline and consistent commitment to duty over a long career in the Inland Revenue Service.
Earlier, the FBR had already achieved tax collection target of Rs. 12,957 billion for fiscal year 2025-26, an achievement credited to the entire tax machinery, and particularly to FBR Member (Inland Revenue-Operations) Zubair Bilal, who personally supervised and monitored the collection drive along with enforcement and administrative actions, without subjecting taxpayers to any harassment.
The Public Service category this year remains the single largest block of civilian recognition, cutting across federal secretaries, senior police officers, tax and customs officials, and administrative officers from the provinces, reflecting the breadth of state functionaries whose contributions rarely attract headlines.
Bilal’s award, coming at a time when the FBR is under focus to meet challenging revenue targets and reform its operational wings, is being read by observers as recognition of the operational backbone that keeps the tax machinery functioning.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026