No room for corrupt elements in FBR, warns PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday made it clear that there was no place for corrupt elements in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), as he commended officers for surpassing the revenue collection target of Rs12.957 trillion during the previous fiscal year.

Addressing a meeting, the prime minister said the record tax collection was made possible due to reforms introduced in the FBR over the past two and a half years, a strong focus on digitalisation, and effective teamwork. He congratulated the entire FBR workforce, saying achieving the historic revenue target for 2025-26 was a major milestone. He noted that the timely payment of approximately Rs600 billion in tax refunds during the financial year facilitated the business community and contributed to promotion of exports. He expressed confidence that FBR officers would continue working with the same dedication to achieve the current fiscal year’s target of more than Rs15 trillion.

He also appreciated the outstanding performance of Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Finance Secretary Imdadullah Bosal and other members of the economic team. He also paid tribute to Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and law enforcement agencies for curbing smuggling and providing security to FBR officers. “The efforts of officers who risked their lives in remote areas of the country to enforce tax and customs duties are highly commendable,” he said.

The prime minister said he personally chaired review meetings on FBR affairs twice every month because FBR reforms were among the government’s top priorities. “We ensured the appointment of officers with good reputation in FBR field formations,” he added.

Shehbaz directed that, alongside revenue collection, facilitating taxpayers and the business community should remain a top priority. He said the pace of ongoing FBR reforms was being accelerated and that expanding the tax base, ensuring transparency and providing greater facilitation to taxpayers were the foremost priorities. He stated that FBR’s new operating model would be based on a digital, faceless tax system with minimal human intervention. He also directed the formation of a high-level committee to improve the career progression and service structure of officers in the Pakistan Customs Service and Inland Revenue Service.

The officers thanked the prime minister for his special focus on the FBR and for recognising their performance. Members of the delegation briefed the prime minister on the performance of FBR field formations across different regions of the country, the PM Office media said in a statement. During the briefing, it was stated that the Karachi Large Taxpayers Office (LTU) collected Rs528 billion in revenue during June 2026, while the Lahore Large Taxpayers Office (LTU) collected Rs261 billion during the same month. The briefing further noted that Customs duty collection at airports increased by 21 percent over the past year.

The meeting was attended by DPM Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial and other senior government officials.

Separately, during a meeting with Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, who called on him at the PM House, the prime minister reaffirmed his commitment to utilising all available resources for the welfare and prosperity of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Minister for Public Affairs Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Minister of State for Power Abdul Rehman Khan Kanju and SAPM Talha Barki also attended the meeting. The prime minister directed the authorities to expedite the public service agenda and ensure that resolving public issues remained the top priority.