ISLAMABAD: The Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) significantly improved its performance since Nazir Ahmed took charge as chairman of the appellate tribunal, said tribunal’s Registrar, Zahid Habib.
Talking to Customs Today, Habib stated that the appellate tribunal had started functioning potentially under hte chairmanship of Ahmed. As chairman, Ahmed had brought reforms in the tribunal which significantly helped improve administration and performance.
While characterizing the claim, he asserted that prior to his apportionment a significant number of cases were pending with the tribunal which had reduced to minimum following the trending early hearings of the cases, he underscored.
The chairman immediately formed large and full benches at Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar offices which helped to cope with the always growing burden of cases, the registrar said adding that in this regard a full bench was made for Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar offices while a larger bench at Islamabad headquarters.
The move happened to reduce cases pendency and providing relief to the complainants’ at the possible earliest time, he stated. In this regard the tribunal was focusing on early disposal of cases, he added.
At the same moment, Habib also referred to the challenging aspects paying heed to which the tribunal had written to the Ministry of Law and Justice to fill around 15 vacant posts of judicial and accountant members of the tribunal. This endeavor was also part of reforming the existing functions of the tribunal and if it was done then tribunal would be able to perform to its strength at all regions, ATIR registrar claimed.
Providing details on the aspect, he added that ATIR’s chairman had started correspondence with the ministry of law and justice to fill the vacant posts. The tribunal had written to the ministry that it needed appointment of competent accountant and judicial members on vacant posts in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad.
Meanwhile, he also hoped that correspondence with the ministry by the chairman would yield positive results and the ministry would pay heed to the matter. “It is the matter of ATIR efficient working since it was running amid over a dozen vacant offices which are supposed to hear cases and bring relief to the appellants bearing tax grievances”, he underlined.
Confessing that ATIR had undergone immense pressure by the Islamabad High Court in recent months, the registrar stated that court’s order were being complied and implemented affectively. There were problems prior to appointment but now they have become ‘past’ with the active office of chairman, he said.
“Tribunal’s current headship is bringing all assets for earliest compliance of court’s directives and submitting reports to the IHC administration”, he said mentioning that directions from all courts were being paid same attention.
Talking about the ATIR’s staffers and employees, the moment he took charge of office, a need to rectifying administration was felt badly. So, he himself had taken steps forward helping to restore discipline at the tribunal through counseling and establishing check and balance.
Presently, with the helping hand of chairman, the tribunal’s tops had brought significant changes to the administration which was aiding to the objectives of delivering justice to complainants and address their grievances truly.
