ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday warned tax officers that resistance to the ongoing reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would not be tolerated, directing the authorities to implement proposed measures to minimise the country’s tax gap. The prime minister’s warning came during a weekly briefing on tax reforms, following a call for a pen-down strike by the Inland Revenue Officers Association. The strike call was later withdrawn after intervention by senior FBR officials. FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial briefed the prime minister on the pilot project for faceless assessment and audit. A source privy to the meeting told Dawn that the prime minister expressed displeasure over the strike announcement. “We will not tolerate any resistance against the ongoing reforms in the FBR,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying, adding that officers unwilling to work would be asked to leave. The prime minister reminded tax officers that their salaries had been increased fourfold and that they had been provided with vehicles and accommodation. “We have extended every facility to these officers,” he said, adding that it was now their responsibility to deliver results and justify the incentives granted to them. The FBR has established the National Faceless Centre (NFC) in Islamabad, where dedicated wings will handle audits and assessments through a faceless system aimed at reducing official discretion and direct contact between tax officials and taxpayers. Initially staffed by 27 officers, the centre has been tasked with auditing and assessing third-party data relating to 300,000 to 400,000 individuals under a pilot project that became effective on October 1. The data will be referred to the NFC in phases after the completion of initial compliance checks. According to an official announcement by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, PM Shehbaz directed that the pace of FBR reforms be accelerated, noting that the initial results of the ongoing measures were encouraging. He emphasised that the institution’s capacity must be continuously strengthened to bridge the tax gap. The prime minister directed the FBR chairman to expedite the rollout of the faceless system in tax collection. “These reforms are in the larger interest of the state and will continue under all circumstances,” he said, adding that indiscriminate action should be taken against corrupt officials. He further directed that officers and staff showing improvements in conduct and performance be given opportunities to reform, while those persisting in corruption and inefficiency would have no place in the organisation. Meanwhile, the FBR suspended two Inland Revenue Service officers, one in BS-20 and the other in BS-19, and repatriated two other BS-20 officers to FBR Headquarters for further investigation over an unauthorised press statement and a call to suspend official work. Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2026