Karachi: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has strongly condemned the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for harassing exporters by levelling baseless tax fraud allegations in violation of superior court rulings. According to the FTO, FBR officers have been blocking or suspending exporters’ sales tax registration numbers without issuing show-cause notices or providing a personal hearing, solely based on purchases from allegedly suspicious suppliers. This practice has severely disrupted export operations and tarnished Pakistan’s reputation in global trade markets. In one case, a textile exporter’s registration was suspended without notice despite fulfilling all legal obligations, submitting written applications, holding personal meetings with the commissioner, and even paying Rs. 1 million in protest, yet the registration was not restored. The FTO revealed that this is not an isolated case, as numerous similar complaints have emerged indicating that certain FBR officials are coercing exporters into making illegal payments. The FTO declared such actions a serious breach of Supreme Court and High Court judgments and warned that if not immediately addressed, they could severely damage the integrity of the tax system, erode business community trust, and harm the national economy.
