The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has suspended two senior tax officials for 120 days following a pen-down strike call against the government’s proposed restructuring plan, ProPakistani has learnt.
The suspended officers are Commissioner Inland Revenue Regional Tax Office (RTO) Zone-I Hyderabad, and Additional Commissioner Inland Revenue RTO Sargodha.
Separate FBR notifications dated October 19, 2026, confirm that both suspensions took effect immediately under the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.
During the suspension period, both officers must report daily to the office of the FBR Member Administration and Human Resources. Their attendance will be recorded at 9 AM, noon, and 4 PM, and they must maintain punctuality.
Earlier, strong opposition was announced by the Inland Revenue Association against FBR restructuring. The association had announced a pen-down strike but later withdrew the call after a meeting with FBR’s Member Administration and Member Operations.
Sources said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed displeasure over the strike announcement.
The government is also considering establishing dedicated sales tax zones within the FBR’s Large Taxpayer Offices and Corporate Tax Offices to improve monitoring, enforcement, and compliance.
Apparently the sales tax gap is larger than those for income tax and federal excise duty.
Other proposed changes include expanding the FBR chairman’s powers over appointments and removals and hiring professionals from the private sector. These measures may require amendments to relevant civil service rules.
The prime minister has also called for action against corrupt officials and said employees who improve their conduct and performance should be given an opportunity to reform. He warned that continued corruption and persistently poor performance would not be tolerated.
The post FBR Harshly Punishes Senior Officers After Strike Call appeared first on ProPakistani.