ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has decided to appoint renowned/famous overseas Pakistanis as new honorary advisers in different countries abroad in consultation with the Foreign Office.
In the first phase, the newly appointed FTO has removed all overseas advisers working at foreign tax jurisdictions.
The FTO office has written a letter to the Foreign Office for the appointment of new honorary advisers under the second phase.
Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) Chairman and International Constitutional Lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique had levelled allegations against such foreign appointments made in the past and accused the FTO of running a parallel, opaque appointment regime, appointing advisors in Canada, USA, UK, Sweden, Hong Kong, Finland, Spain and other European countries, with no evidence of advertisement, merit-based selection, or lawful authority.
FTO has issued instructions to the FTO Secretariat that complaints of overseas Pakistanis against the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should be dealt with on a priority basis so that overseas Pakistanis do not have to face difficulties and delays.
The FTO has said that overseas Pakistanis are the capital of Pakistan. “Their status in the national economy is like the backbone. Pakistanis living abroad are not only stabilizing the national economy through valuable foreign exchange, but are also projecting a positive image of Pakistan across the world,” he said.
“In recognition of their services and sacrifices, practical steps are being taken for the immediate and effective resolution of their problems. Clear instructions have been issued to the FTO Secretariat that the complaints received from overseas Pakistanis should be resolved as soon as possible in a transparent and effective manner.”
