CJ stresses that effective tax dispute resolution is key to building public trust
Justice Yahya Afridi. Photo: SC website
ISLAMABAD:
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has stressed that resolving tax disputes is key to building public trust and improving governance.
The top judge made the remarks while chairing a consultative meeting aimed at improving the performance and harmonization of tax litigation at the Supreme Court and across the country’s judiciary, according to an official statement.
The meeting, convened by the National Judicial Committee (Policy Making), was attended by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, as well as Shad Muhammad Khan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Tax Litigation Framework.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, the Registrar of the Supreme Court, and nominated judges of the five high courts also participated in the session.
The Chief Justice emphasized that effective resolution of tax disputes is essential to building public confidence and improving governance.
During the meeting, Justice Aurangzeb briefed the participants about his recent judicial ruling relating to tax matters. He stressed that repeated litigation places unnecessary burden on courts and leads to waste of public resources. He further observed that ministries should refrain from appealing on issues already settled by higher courts.
The FBR Chairman informed the participants that steps would be taken to improve the presence, preparedness and efficiency of legal advisors and departmental officers in tax matters.
He added that the IT wing of the FBR is working in coordination with the IT department of the judiciary to streamline data sharing. He also announced that director level officers would be appointed to represent the FBR before each high court.
Additionally, review committees would be established in each province to review the references before they are filed, the statement said.
