Key points

  • A four-member panel appointed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to evaluate contractual ATIR members has remained silent for nearly four months, according to Business Recorder.
  • Private-sector members were hired under a 2024 recruitment framework with market-based salaries of Rs2.6 million per month each, Business Recorder reported.
  • Pending cases have risen to approximately 68,000 while tribunals dispose of roughly 1,000 cases monthly, as noted in a taskforce report cited by Business Recorder.

Nearly four months after its formation by the federal government, a special panel established to evaluate the efficiency and conduct of newly inducted tax tribunal members has yet to release any public findings, according to Business Recorder. The prolonged quiet surrounding the assessment process has drawn criticism from the legal community over transparency and accountability.

Key Details

According to Business Recorder, the four-member evaluation committee was created by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to assess private-sector members hired under the 2024 recruitment framework. Each of these members receives a market-based salary of Rs2.6 million per month. The panel comprises retired Justices Athar Saeed and Tariq Abbasi, along with Shad M Khan and chartered accountant Ghazi Akhtar Khan.

Waheed Shahzad Butt, Chairman of the LTBA Public Interest Litigation Committee, told Business Recorder that the legal and tax community has observed no public indication of the committee's progress, methodology, or findings. He stated that the lack of visible action risks undermining the credibility of the accountability exercise.

Context and Impact

Business Recorder reported that the review committee was originally ordered following a taskforce assessment that highlighted poor performance within tax tribunals. The same report indicated that pending cases have climbed to approximately 68,000 despite expanded tribunal strength. With tribunals disposing of roughly 1,000 cases monthly, the backlog presents significant challenges for the judicial and taxation systems.

Summary and What Next

The review panel holds the mandate to recommend whether individual members should be retained, granted extensions, or removed for inefficiency or misconduct, according to Business Recorder. As the legal community awaits transparency on the panel's methodology and findings, the broader implications for tax dispute resolution remain to be seen.