FBR has constituted three Independent Case Scrutiny Committees for Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi under the Income Tax Ordinance, Sales Tax Act and Federal Excise Act. The committees are intended to prevent frivolous litigation and improve consistency in decisions to file references, petitions and review petitions before superior courts.
The Islamabad Committee is headed by former Justice Athar Saeed, the Lahore Committee by former Justice Khawaja Farooq Saeed and the Karachi Committee by former Justice Maqbool Baqir. Their jurisdictions cover the respective Large Taxpayers Offices, Corporate Tax Offices, Regional Tax Offices and specified directorates falling within each region.
The committees will review whether litigation should be initiated or continued, maintain a database of settled legal issues and identify matters requiring legislative or administrative intervention. FBR has also proposed amendments to align committee jurisdictions with the newly reorganised RTO and CTO structure, including separate Lahore and Karachi formations.