Bilal Azhar Kayani, Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Economy and Energy, at a press conference. APPLICATION
ISLAMABAD:
The National Assembly on Thursday passed the Income Tax (Third Amendment) Ordinance Bill, 2025, which aims to strengthen the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism for tax disputes.
Proposed by Minister of State for Finance, Revenue and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, the legislation seeks to close the gaps in the existing framework, particularly in the appointment of the chairperson of the ADR committee.
The measure is designed to ensure impartiality, improve efficiency and reduce the burden on courts, making ADR a credible and cost-effective option for taxpayers.
Under the new law, both taxpayers and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will each propose three names for the presidency. If consensus is not achieved, one candidate from each side will be referred to the Minister of Justice for a final decision.
The president must be a retired judge of the High Court, the Federal Constitutional Court or the Supreme Court with relevant tax or commercial experience.
Kayani noted that earlier the FBR had exclusive authority to appoint the president, raising concerns about impartiality. The revised process, he said, strengthens taxpayer protection, improves the ADR framework and ensures fair resolution of disputes.
BISP
Minister of Poverty Alleviation and Social Security Syed Imran Ahmad Shah informed the National Assembly that the total allocation for the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) amounted to Rs 716 billion, describing it as one of the world’s leading finance-based social protection initiatives.
Responding to a question from Sharmila Faruqui during Question Hour, the minister said the BISP operated through three main components – the Kafalat cash assistance programme, the Nashonuma nutrition initiative and the Taleemi Wazaif educational stipends – and was widely recognized internationally for its transparency and scale.
He clarified that the BISP was strictly an income support program and not a disaster response mechanism.
The minister said the organization did not independently carry out relief operations during floods, earthquakes or other calamities, adding that it only acted on formal policy instructions issued by the government or relevant authorities, including coordinating with institutions such as the National Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Disaster Management Authorities when necessary.
The minister told the House that the BISP functioned as an autonomous body with its own president and board of directors, and that any proposal to extend its mandate or introduce new initiatives had to originate with the board.
Upon receiving a formal request, he said, the ministry would forward a summary to the federal government for consideration.
Replying to a supplementary question from Naima Kishwar Khan, Imran Ahmad Shah said that BISP had established a comprehensive national network comprising regional offices, facilitation centres, hospital counters and dynamic registration centers operating in all provinces up to tehsil level.
He explained that the beneficiaries were selected through the Proxy Means Test (PMT) system, with the poverty threshold currently set at a score of 32.
Households that did not meet this score were eligible for assistance, and eligible families currently received Rs 7,500 per quarter under the Kafalat programme.
The minister informed the House that more than 10 million beneficiaries were currently enrolled in the BISP across the country, making it one of the largest social protection programs in the region.
He urged members to attend parliamentary committee meetings to stay fully informed about verified data and program performance.
In response to another question from Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui, the minister reiterated that the BISP operated under clearly defined rules, standard operating procedures and governance mechanisms as an autonomous institution, with oversight exercised through its board of directors.
He added that the structure and operations of the program were also aligned with commitments made to international partners, including the International Monetary Fund.
Concluding his remarks, the minister said the government remained committed to strengthening the BISP as a sustainable, rules-based social safety net to ensure transparency, accountability and continued support to vulnerable households across the country.
