Amjad Zubair Tiwana, the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), has formally requested early retirement, citing significant work-related pressures and ongoing criticism.
Tiwana, who still has six months remaining in his current term, submitted his resignation letter to the Prime Minister’s Office on August 15. His decision to step down ahead of schedule has stirred considerable discussion, as he had been expected to continue in his role for the full duration of his tenure.
Before resigning, Tiwana consulted with several cabinet members who advised him to step down. Among those consulted was Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Prime Minister’s close aide on the Establishment Division, Ahad Cheema. Tiwana verbally conveyed to Cheema that he was unable to continue in his role as FBR Chairman.
Sources indicated that Tiwana faced significant challenges with senior officers within the FBR, noting that over 21 senior officers were ranked above him. Tiwana, who is closely associated with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, was appointed during the caretaker government.
Tiwana, an Inland Revenue Service (IRS) officer in grade 21, was expected to retire in February 2025. According to The News, top officials close to the Prime Minister’s office reported dissatisfaction with the pace of reforms and digitalisation within the FBR.
The FBR’s high-ranking officials attempted to persuade Tiwana to retract his resignation request, but he remained firm. Despite facing criticism over issues such as digitisation and the division between IRS and Customs groups, Tiwana oversaw a notable achievement: the FBR collected Rs9,311 billion in revenue during the last fiscal year, marking a 30% growth in revenues despite a challenging economic climate.
