Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Malik Amjad Zubair Tiwana has asked for early retirement due to tensions with Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been critical of the performance of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Tiwana in recent meetings. Tiwana has now opted to retire six months early, effective August 15th.

Tiwana’s decision to retire early appears to be due to constant pressure and interference from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

There were disagreements over issues like the construction of FBR office buildings, the digitization project led by consulting firm McKinsey, and Tiwana’s reporting to the Prime Minister.

Tiwana’s departure will spark competition among different government services - the Customs Group, Inland Revenue Service (IRS), and the powerful Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) - to succeed him as the new FBR chairman.

Potential successors include Hamid Atiq Sarwar (IRS), Mukaram Jah Ansari, Faiz Chaddar (Customs), and Secretary Power Rashid Langrial (PAS).

The new chairman will face challenges like navigating the PMO’s direct involvement, managing the McKinsey project, and achieving the Rs. 13 trillion tax collection target under IMF oversight.

Despite the issues, Tiwana had led the FBR through a challenging period and achieved a 30% increase in tax collection, though still falling short of the target.

If Tiwana’s retirement request is approved, his departure from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will spark competition among several potential successors for the chairman position. The key contenders include Hamid Atiq Sarwar from the Inland Revenue Service (IRS), Mukaram Jah Ansari, Faiz Chaddar from the Customs Group, and Rashid Langrial, the Secretary of Power, representing the powerful Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS).

Read more