ISLAMABAD:The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed a major penalty on a lady Inland Revenue Officer (IRO) for proven charges of inefficiency and misconduct.
Ms. Farina Shakeel, serving in the Directorate of Internal Audit (IR), Lahore, has been demoted to the lower post of Inspector Inland Revenue (BS-16) for a period of three years, effective immediately.
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According to official documents, disciplinary proceedings were initiated under the Civil Servants (E&D) Rules, 2020 against Ms. Shakeel on multiple charges. The inquiry was conducted by Ms. Yasmeen Fatima, Director of Intelligence & Investigation (IR), Lahore, who concluded that three out of five charges against the Inland Revenue officer stood proven. These included direct communication of complaints to top officials and filing harassment allegations against her supervisors without following the proper channel.
Following the inquiry, Ms. Shakeel was issued a Show Cause Notice through the Directorate General of Internal Audit (IR), Islamabad. In her reply, she denied the allegations and requested a personal hearing. During the hearing held on July 17, 2025, the accused Inland Revenue officer reiterated her stance and alleged mistreatment by senior officers. However, a departmental representative confirmed that all her harassment complaints were found baseless after a thorough fact-finding inquiry. The same conclusion was also drawn by the Federal Ombudsman for Protection Against Harassment of Women at Workplace, which dismissed her complaint.
After reviewing the case, including written and oral submissions, the competent authority ruled that the Inland Revenue officer had failed to justify her actions. The misconduct and inefficiency charges were upheld, and the penalty of demotion was formally approved.
In addition to demotion, Ms. Shakeel’s performance allowance has been withheld for one year. She will be required to reappear for performance evaluation after the penalty period. However, she retains the right to appeal the decision to the Appellate Authority under the Civil Servants (Appeal) Rules, 1977 within 30 days of notification.
The FBR reiterated its commitment to ensuring discipline and accountability within the Inland Revenue Service through fair and transparent enforcement of rules.
