A meeting of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Pakistan’s Advisory Committee was held, presided over by Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah, Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz. The session was attended by prominent members of the business community, representatives of traders’ unions, trade bodies, and senior advisors of the Tax Ombudsman. The participants paid glowing tribute to Dr. Jah’s exceptional leadership, vision, and unwavering commitment to public service.
Performance Across the Years
The Committee reviewed the remarkable trajectory of institutional growth and public facilitation achieved under Dr. Jah’s tenure. The year-wise progress is as follows: 2021:3,038 complaints registered Refunds of Rs. 8 billion issued 2022:6,480+ complaints received Refunds of Rs. 7 billion issued 78% implementation satisfaction achieved 2023: 8,076 cases handled 94.07% implementation rate, one of the highest in institutional history Rs. 17.742 billion refunded 2024: 13,506 complaints registered Refunds of Rs. 22.78 billion processed January–September 2025: 28,602 complaints registered Average disposal time reduced to 39 days Rs. 14 billion refunded on FTO’s recommendations till 30 September 2025 Additionally, the total refunds made during the last four years of Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah amounted to approximately Rs. 17 billion, reflecting the scale of taxpayer relief achieved under his leadership.
A notable improvement during his tenure was the sharp decline in review cases requiring revisions from the President. These cases dropped to 5.88% in 2025, compared to 10.95% in 2022, demonstrating the credibility, quality, and legal soundness of FTO decisions.
Institutional Growth Over Two Decades and Four Years Over the past twenty years, the Federal Tax Ombudsman’s office registered 37,118 cases, with 36,328 disposals.
Remarkably, within just four years of Dr. Jah’s tenure: 57,552 cases were registered, and 52,985 cases were disposed, setting new institutional records in efficiency, accessibility, and public outreach.
Public Service and Reforms Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah highlighted that throughout his tenure, he consistently prioritized marginalized taxpayers and vulnerable segments of society.
His period in office was marked by several landmark initiatives, including: Actions against tax evasion by private medical colleges, resulting in significant revenue contribution to the national exchequer
Assistance to FBR in recovery of taxes through auctions of non-duty-paid vehicles and confiscated goods Protection of double-taxed paper examiners, as well as employees of Radio Pakistan, PTV, Punjab Arts Council, and working journalists
Ensuring that justice, relief, and guidance reached individuals who historically had limited access to tax-related support Awareness, Outreach, and National Engagement To strengthen taxpayer awareness, transparency, and institutional engagement, Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah highlighted that he: Mobilized chambers of commerce across Pakistan Appointed honorary advisors from the business community Launched extensive nationwide media campaigns
These initiatives were conducted with the generous support of the Honorable President of Pakistan, the Governor of Punjab, the Chairman of PANRA, and key partners in electronic and print media.
His focus on public accessibility led to 655 seminars nationwide in chambers, tax advisers’ offices, universities, and various educational institutions, creating tax awareness on an unprecedented scale.
Conclusion
In their concluding remarks, the chief guest and the Federal Tax Ombudsman extended their gratitude to the Advisory Committee for their collaboration and appreciated their constructive suggestions aimed at supporting traders, business owners, and taxpayers.
The Committee unanimously commended Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah’s visionary leadership, humanitarian spirit, and extraordinary service, expressing confidence that his legacy will continue to inspire and guide future institutional reforms.
