ISLAMABAD: The Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue (ATIR) did not start work as the Ministry of Law has yet to appoint a new chairman for the tribunal.
According to the ATIR officials, ATIR’s head office in Islamabad and regional offices in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta were not functioning as the Ministry of Law had not appointed new chairman yet after retirement of former chairman, Javed Iqbal, on March 9.
Officials stated that hundreds of cases were pending due to the absence of the chairman and there was no option even to announce dates of hearings without the new chairman.
They said appellants and respondents were being irked by the situation. They demanded that Ministyr of law to appoint new chairman of the body on immediate basis so it can resume its functions in smooth manners.
According to ATIR law and regulations, ATIR could not perform its routine functions in absence of chairman. However, it would start functioning fully once the chairman was appointed, they added.