FBR chief Amjad Zubair Tiwana 'tenders resignation'
1. FBR chairman was going to retire from the service in February 2025, say sources
**ISLAMABAD:** Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Amjad Zubair Tiwana has resigned, submitting his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sources informed Geo News on Wednesday.
Insiders revealed that Tiwana had requested the Prime Minister's Secretariat to relieve him from his duties as FBR chief and submitted his resignation after a two-day wait.
Before resigning, Tiwana consulted with more than two cabinet members, who advised him to step down, according to sources. Tiwana also met with Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and PM’s close aide on Establishment Division, Ahad Cheema, and verbally informed him that he could no longer continue heading the FBR, The News reported.
Sources indicated that senior officers within the tax-collecting body were not cooperating with Tiwana, noting that more than 21 officers in the FBR outranked the chairman.
Tiwana, considered close to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was appointed during the caretaker government, sources said. He was an Inland Revenue Service (IRS) officer in grade 21 and was set to retire in February 2025.
High-ranking officials close to the Prime Minister's office confirmed to The News that the pace of reforms, including digitalization, within the FBR was not satisfactory. Despite efforts from tax officers to convince Tiwana to withdraw his resignation request, he refused.
Sources close to Tiwana noted that the FBR achieved Rs9,311 billion in revenue during the last fiscal year, marking a 30% growth despite challenging economic conditions. Tiwana faced criticism over issues related to digitalization and the division between IRS and Customs groups.
