ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday defended the promotions of its two members which are under the scrutiny of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), saying the board headed by the prime minister promoted them to BPS-22.
The Prime Minister’s Secretariat on August 5 notified the promotion of Dr Mohammad Irshad, Member Inland Revenue, and Chaudhry Safdar Hussain, Director General Large Taxpayers Unit of the FBR, from BPS-21 to BPS-22 on the recommendations of the High Power Selection Board (HPSB) headed by the prime minister.
The FBR’s response was presented to the IHC during the hearing of petitions filed by four superseded (BPS-21) officers of the FBR. As Member Inland Revenue (Operations), Dr Irshad is supervising the FBR’s ‘probe’ into the Panama leaks. During a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in September, Chairman FBR Nisar Mohammad had stated that the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation for Inland Revenue had issued notices to people whose names had been mentioned in the Panama leaks.
After their promotion to BPS-22, both Dr Irshad and Chaudhry Safdar are in the line of becoming the FBR chairman as the incumbent is going to retire on January 18.
Says Dr Mohammad Irshad and Chaudhry Safdar Hussain were promoted to BPS-22 by board headed by prime minister
Addressing a public rally in Islamabad on August 14, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan had accused Dr Irshad and another officer of ‘fixing’ the tax records of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.
However, the FBR on August 17 refuted the allegation, saying the “FBR has foolproof automated processes for record maintenance and updation. No individual can alter, edit or modify the record except as provided under the law and standard operating procedures.”
Director General Withholding Tax Haroon Mohammad Khan Tareen, Member Inland Revenue Tribunal Raana Ahmed, Member Inland Revenue Appellate Tribunal Riaz Ahmed Khan and Member Accounting at the FBR headquarters Seema Majid then filed the petitions with the IHC.
The petitioners stated that the promoted officers were junior to them as Chaudhry Safdar was at number 10 and Dr Irshad at number 16 of the seniority list.
They claimed that one of the petitioners, Haroon Tareen, had refused to grant undue favours to the prime minister’s special assistant on revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan which was why he (Mr Tareen) was denied a promotion. It said Chaudhry Safdar was the chief commissioner large taxpayers in Lahore where three of Mr Akhtar’s mills were located.
The petition also claimed that Chaudhry Safdar accommodated Mr Akhtar and was, therefore, promoted to BPS 22.
The promotions of both Dr Irshad and Chaudhry Safdar “were pre-planned and managed by Haroon Akhtar Khan,” it added.
It also alleged that even the appointment of Mr Akhtar (as special assistant to the PM) was highly controversial in view of the pending inquiry proceedings against him and his family with the National Accountability (NAB) on charges of corruption, money laundering, tax evasion and malpractice.
“He permanently sits in the FBR House, Islamabad, chairs all important meetings and even … calls the chairman and members FBR and the CEO Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited to his office many times every day and unduly interferes in the routine business of the FBR and the PRAL.”
Rebutting these allegations, the FBR in its written reply stated that “final decision regarding promotion or non-promotion of officers to BPS-22 is taken by the HPSB which meets under the chairmanship of the prime minister.”
It said the FBR had placed the cases of eligible officers of the Inland Revenue Service before the HPSB to be considered for promotion to BPS-22.
The FBR also denied the allegations of unlawful interference by Mr Akhtar in the affairs of the revenue division/FBR.
The Establishment Division in its reply said the HPSB held its meeting on August 1 and the officers were denied promotions because of their ‘unsatisfactory’ performance and not up-to-the mark level of competence.
On Aug 5, Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC had issued notices to the FBR, the Establishment Division, Mr Akhtar and the PM Secretariat and sought their comments. The court will again take up the petition on November 25.'
Published in Dawn November 12th, 2016
