ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) received a record 35,716 complaints against the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) during January–December 2025, with 98 percent of the FTO’s recommendations implemented by the FBR.
Speaking at a press conference at the FTO Secretariat on Wednesday, outgoing FTO Dr. Asif Mehmood Jah highlighted his achievements during his tenure, particularly over the past year. He noted recoveries exceeding Rs 23 billion and an average complaint resolution time of 34 days.
The FTO observed a significant rise in complaints over recent years: from 2,867 in 2021 to 6,106 in 2022, 7,889 in 2023, 12,742 in 2024, and reaching 35,716 in 2025. Dr. Jah attributed this growth to nationwide awareness sessions conducted by the FTO and its advisors, which enhanced taxpayers’ confidence in the Forum’s grievance redressal.
The Secretariat also achieved a 98 percent implementation rate of its recommendations. Approximately 97 percent of the recommendations were upheld by the President of Pakistan, with the remaining cases either modified slightly or remanded. During Dr. Jah’s four-year tenure, the total number of complaints received was 64,664, surpassing the total complaints received in the previous five tenures over 21 years (37,118 complaints).
Dr. Jah also served as Secretary General of the OIC Ombudsman Association (OICOA) and President of the Forum of Pakistan Ombudsman (FPO), which represents all 14 Ombudsmen in the country.
Among other initiatives, the FTO established the Diplomatic Grievance Redressal Cell and hosted multiple seminars to directly engage the diplomatic community in Islamabad, resolving their tax-related grievances promptly. “Countries like Bangladesh and Tanzania are now looking to emulate Pakistan’s Tax Ombudsman model,” Dr. Jah noted.
He further highlighted a focus on youth development, with the FTO Secretariat completing one of the largest public sector Internship Programmes in 2025, providing structured exposure in complaint handling, research, outreach, and inter-institutional coordination to over 150 young participants from across Pakistan.
