The government has introduced a bill in Parliament to legalize past appointments of Federal Board of Revenue members and validate incentives and rewards previously granted without proper approval.
The proposed amendments also seek to shift the authority of appointing FBR members from the federal cabinet to the Secretary of the Revenue Division, reported Express Tribune.
Under the proposed law, all appointments made since 2016 would be considered legally valid, despite concerns that they were made without proper cabinet approval.
The bill aims to provide legal cover to decisions, actions, and functions carried out by those members during this period.
The government has also moved to validate past incentive and reward payments to FBR employees and individuals assisting in tax enforcement.
These payments were previously required to be approved by the FBR Policy Board, but were issued without such approval.
In a major structural shift, the bill proposes abolishing the FBR Policy Board, which currently includes cabinet members and members of Parliament. Its powers would instead be transferred to the FBR and a tax policy office led by senior bureaucrats.
The development comes despite a Supreme Court ruling in the Mustafa Impex case, which established that executive authority rests with the federal cabinet.
The cabinet has temporarily delegated appointment powers to the secretary Revenue Division, a move that has raised legal and governance concerns.
Lawmakers are expected to review the bill in the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, where key provisions including indemnity for past actions and changes in governance structure, will be debated.