January 26, 2007	Friday	Muharram 06, 1428

KARACHI, Jan 25: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) presently under going massive automation and computerisation is still working in an age-old fashion. One could not believe that an income tax commissioner of BS-20, who retired on December 22, 2006, is still holding the post on CBR documents.

According to CBR sources the income tax commissioner, who held the top slot of Regional Commissioner of Income Tax (RICT), Southern Region, left on leave on October 4, 2006. Thereafter, the officer of BS-20 retired on attaining superannuation age of 60 years and left the office.

However, so far the CBR has not notified his retirement on its website or even through issuance of notification and the officer, who took a temporary charge when he went on leave, is still holding the post of RICT southern region.

Sources told Dawn that it was more intriguing that even now all the correspondence issued by the CBR from Islamabad is addressed to him whereas the incumbent regional commissioner Adil Zafarullah Hasan took over the charge on October 4, 2006.

One would like to know whether the salary was still being paid to the officer, and if so, what are its legal implications and what the Accountant General of Pakistan will do in this regard.

The officer Abrar Ahmed was holding duel charge of regional commissioner of income tax, southern region and was also looking after the corporate region, Karachi. However, a couple of months before proceedings on leave Abrar was relieved of the corporate region’s charge but held the post of regional commissioner income tax, southern region.

After going on leave on October 6, 2006, the officer did not join the service as he attained the age of superannuation on December 22, 2006 and stayed back home. But to the utter surprise of many the CBR was still holding the officer on his records and more so over was still issuing all correspondence on his name as RICT southern region.

Another question being raised by experts is the legal aspect of the blunder being made by the CBR in term of service and salary and decisions being taken by the incumbent commissioner during this period. It is hoped that CBR will come up with some answers to these questions and let the public know its implications, the experts added.