By Our Correspondent
LAHORE: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Regional Office Lahore organized an awareness seminar titled “Role of Media in Timely Dispensation of Justice”, bringing together senior journalists and columnists to discuss the issues faced by taxpayers and the pivotal role of FTO in addressing them.
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The session emphasized the importance of media engagement in highlighting tax-related grievances and building public trust in redressal mechanisms. Speaking on the occasion, FTO Media Advisor Abdul Basit Khan briefed the participants on the performance of the institution under the leadership of Federal Tax Ombudsman Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah.
He noted that the FTO has achieved remarkable milestones over the past four years.
Khan revealed that, acting on FTO recommendations, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued tax refunds worth Rs. 12 billion within just six months—a historic achievement. From January to June 2025, the FTO received 15,284 fresh complaints, of which 5,536 were resolved informally. In total, 20,917 cases were addressed during the period.
Former presidents of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Kashif Anwar and Mr. Manzoor Malik, highlighted various tax-related challenges faced by the business community and urged timely policy-level interventions.
DG PEMRA Punjab, Mr. Ikram Barkat, underscored the need for a balanced tax system, proper implementation of laws, and sustained public awareness. He assured that PEMRA would support FTO’s outreach initiatives in line with media regulations to help strengthen public confidence.
Senior journalists including Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, Mian Habib, and Ashraf Sohail lauded the FTO’s annual performance and described the institution as a “blessing for taxpayers.” They pledged to continue raising business community concerns at relevant platforms and acknowledged the FTO’s growing role in providing relief and justice to tax filers.
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