ISLAMABAD – Social media in Pakistan remained abuzz on Thursday with the last income tax return of Shabbar Zaidi just in time when his appointment as the new chief of top federal government body that investigates crimes related to taxation and money-laundering was notified.
According to an acknowledgment slip issued last December by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which Zaidi heads now, the former Karachi-based partner in the chartered accounting firm A.F. Ferguson paid nearly Rs17.90 million (17,897,928) in income tax in 2018.
A notification of his appointment as the new FBR chairman on an “honorary and pro bono basis for a period of two years with immediate effect” was issued by Establishment Division on Thursday.
Zaidi’s appointment comes days after the dismissal of Jahanzeb Khan as the FBR head and two days after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) employee Reza Baqir’s appointment as the governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
The key changes in governing bodies happen in the midst of Pakistan’s discussions with the IMF for finalising a bailout package.
While Reza Baqir was named as new SBP Governor on Saturday, the appointment of FBR’s new head faced a delay after Memon’s name was pulled out.
Shabbar Zaidi is a renowned tax expert and a Chartered Accountant. He has also served as the provincial caretaker finance minister for Sindh in 2013.
Zaidi,who has become the third person from the private sector to hold this post, this week laid out his priorities, saying he considers “building trust between the state and the taxpayer” as the topmost challenge.
In other remarks given on television, Shabbar Zaidi referred to the system as “anti-tax” and said he wishes to see this changed.
