Inquiry names FBR officials in Rs25b faulty T&T contract

ISLAMABAD: An inquiry committee has attributed the failure and flawed awarding of a Rs25 billion contract, aimed at monitoring the production activities of companies three years ago, to the project director and two former chairmen of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). Chaired by Secretary Finance Imdad Ullah Bosal, the committee presented its findings to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday. The PM promptly directed actions against the then-project director Tariq Hussain Sheikh and the then-member operations Dr Mohammad Ashfaq, holding them directly responsible for the lapses in the 2021 award of the track and trace project. Former FBR chairman Javed Ghani was found negligent in overseeing the multibillion rupees deal for a period of five years. Dr Ashfaq later became chairman FBR and had been sidelined for the past two years due to his involvement in the Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa offshore asset case. The Track & Trace system initiative aimed at combating tax evasion was deemed a significant fraud against the nation and economy.