ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament, announced to write to the Supreme Court to order the courts for early judgments in the sub judice cases involving tax payments of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Almost payments of Rs 5 trillion are lying pending with the parties in result of stay orders issued by the junior courts on the request of litigants against FBR and other government departments.
Due course of discussion on the audit paras about fiscal management of FBR for the audit year 2016-17, Chairman PAC Syed Khursheed Shah issued observation that stuck up amount Rs 5 to Rs7 trillion was a huge sum therefore the courts should consider a lot before issuing any stay order in the case pertaining to payment of revenue to the FBR and other government departments because no state could function without revenue.
Chairman FBR apprised the committee that Chief Justice of Pakistan had already taken measures in this regard, but PAC chairman observed that let the PAC to perform its national duty; therefore, PAC would write to the Supreme Court to issue directions to junior courts to expedite the prosecution of cases pertaining to the revenue collection of the FBR for early settlements or decisions.
PAC could review only five audit paras involving over Rs 55 billion out of 18 paras involving trillions of rupees of receivables by the FBR. The deliberations on the audit paras also revealed receivable payments were stuck up under the courts orders because either the cases were lying sub-judice with the courts or courts had issued stay orders on those cases halting the payment of taxes to the FBR.
Therefore, PAC also sought details of blocked payments of revenue because of stay orders issued by the courts on cases from the FBR along with their bifurcation on the basis of higher volume of receivable amount.
