CJ emphasizes that effective resolution of tax disputes is essential to strengthen public trust
Judge Yahya Afridi. Photo: SC website
ISLAMABAD:
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has emphasized that resolving tax disputes is essential to strengthening public trust and improving governance.
The top judge made these remarks while presiding over a consultative meeting aimed at improving the performance and harmonization of tax litigation in the Supreme Court and across the country’s judicial system, according to an official statement.
The meeting, convened by the National Judicial (Policy Formulation) Committee, was attended by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb as well as Shad Muhammad Khan, chairman of the prime minister’s working group on tax litigation framework.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Supreme Court Registrar and designated judges of the five high courts also participated in the session.
The Chief Justice emphasized that effective resolution of tax disputes is essential to strengthen public trust and improve governance.
During the meeting, Justice Aurangzeb informed the participants about his recent court decision related to tax issues. He noted that repeated litigation places an unnecessary burden on the courts and leads to waste of public resources. He further observed that government departments should refrain from filing appeals on issues that have already been decided by higher courts.
The FBR Chairman informed the participants that steps would be taken to improve the assistance, preparedness and effectiveness of legal advisors and departmental officials in tax cases.
He added that the IT wing of the FBR is working in coordination with the IT directorate of the judiciary to expedite data sharing. He also announced that director-level officials would be appointed to represent the FBR in each high court.
Additionally, scrutiny committees would be established in each province to review references before submission, the statement said.
