The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for expedited handling of pending tax cases in Pakistan, highlighting that a staggering PKR 3.76 trillion in tax disputes are currently unresolved in various courts. According to officials from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the value of cases pending before Appellate Tribunals has surged from PKR 1.46 trillion to PKR 2.24 trillion. In response, the FBR has initiated measures to accelerate the adjudication of these cases. In the Supreme Court, 3,450 cases with an estimated potential revenue of PKR 105 billion remain pending. The Islamabad High Court has 780 cases involving PKR 160 billion, while the Sindh High Court holds the highest amount of PKR 309 billion in pending tax disputes. The Lahore High Court has 4,670 cases totaling PKR 180 billion. Additional backlogs include PKR 8 billion in 400 cases at the Peshawar High Court and numerous high-value cases at the Balochistan High Court. Appellate Tribunals in Inland Revenue are also facing significant delays, with over 71,300 cases and more than PKR 2.23 trillion stuck in the system.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan