Author: dailybalochistantimes.com

Islamabad: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to provide journalist Asad Toor with complete details of the allegations against him before proceeding further, disposing of his petition against the agency’s summons notice.

Justice Muhammad Azam Khan heard the petition challenging the NCCIA notice. Advocate Ataullah Kundi appeared on behalf of the petitioner.

During the hearing, Justice Azam Khan asked why the petitioner was not appearing before the agency, observing, “Why are you not appearing? Do you not have a defence?”

Counsel for the petitioner replied that his client was unaware of the allegations. “We do not even know what the allegations are. How can we respond without knowing them?” he argued.

The counsel further contended that under the law, an accused must be provided with complete particulars of the allegations before any proceedings.

Justice Azam Khan observed that the court would dispose of the petition after directing the NCCIA to furnish the petitioner with all details of the allegations.

Advocate Kundi agreed with the proposal, stating that it was the relief sought in the petition.

The court subsequently disposed of the petition with directions to the NCCIA to provide the petitioner with the details of the allegations.

Islamabad: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Friday acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Azam Swati in a case related to the alleged financing of the October 4 protest, citing a lack of evidence.

ATC Judge, Tahir Abbas Sipra announced the verdict during the hearing, observing that the prosecution had failed to produce any evidence linking the senator to the alleged offence.

Addressing Azam Swati in the courtroom, the judge remarked that not a single prosecution witness had testified against him. He further noted that although the prosecution had alleged financial support for the protest, it had failed to produce even a single bank account or financial record to substantiate the claim.

The court also observed that Azam Swati was already in jail when the case was registered against him.

Judge Sipra clarified that Swati’s acquittal would not affect the proceedings against the remaining accused, as their trial would continue separately and the nature of the allegations against them was different.

The court subsequently acquitted Azam Swati for want of evidence. The case had been registered against the PTI senator at Noon Police Station.

Islamabad: President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Sardar Tahir Mehmood, on Friday stressed the urgent need for adopting a comprehensive export-led growth strategy, saying that sustainable economic prosperity, employment generation and macroeconomic stability could only be achieved by significantly enhancing Pakistan’s exports.

Talking to different delegations from the trade and industrial sectors here, he said Pakistan possessed immense industrial and entrepreneurial potential, but structural challenges, high cost of doing business, expensive energy, cumbersome taxation, regulatory bottlenecks and limited access to global markets continued to constrain the country’s export performance, said a press release.

Tahir Mehmood urged the government to formulate a long-term, predictable and business-friendly export policy that encouraged industrial expansion, value addition, innovation and diversification of export markets.

He emphasized that facilitating exporters through simplified procedures, affordable financing, technological upgradation and a competitive business environment was essential to unlocking Pakistan’s true export potential.

The private sector stood ready to work closely with the government in developing practical policies that promoted investment, industrialization and export competitiveness, he said adding that stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors would help restore investor confidence and place the national economy on the path of sustainable growth.

He reiterated ICCI’s commitment to serving as an effective bridge between the business community and policymakers, adding that the Chamber would continue advocating reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business and strengthening Pakistan’s position in international markets.

Islamabad: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to launch a Faceless Income Tax Refund System to enable the automated processing of eligible tax refunds and their direct electronic transfer into taxpayers’ bank accounts, saying the move would reduce delays and improve taxpayer facilitation.

The recommendation came while deciding a complaint filed by M/s Sprint Oil and Gas Services FZC, which sought the release of an income tax refund of Rs 42.86 million for tax year 2025. The company had submitted its online refund application on April 13, but alleged that the refund remained pending despite the expiry of the statutory 60-day processing period.

According to the complaint, the delay constituted maladministration under the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000. The complainant also referred to an Islamabad High Court directive calling for the implementation of an automated refund mechanism under Section 170A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, to minimise taxpayer interaction with tax offices and speed up refund payments.

In its response, the Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, Corporate Tax Office (CTO), Islamabad, stated that refund applications were being processed on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis under FBR instructions and that the taxpayer’s claim was still under verification after notices were issued seeking supporting documents.

After reviewing the record, the Tax Ombudsman Zafar Hijazi ruled that the refund application had remained pending beyond the statutory timeframe and that such delay amounted to maladministration due to departmental neglect and inattention. The FTO rejected the department’s reliance on the FIFO policy as a justification for prolonged delays, observing that administrative procedures could not override taxpayers’ legal rights.

The FTO directed FBR to instruct the Commissioner Inland Revenue (Refund Zone), CTO Islamabad, to decide the pending refund claim in accordance with the law after determining the nature of the taxes paid or deducted and submit a compliance report within 30 days.

In a significant policy recommendation, the Ombudsman advised FBR to operationalise a Faceless Income Tax Refund System under Section 170A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. The proposed system would allow refunds, verified through the Board’s computerised system, to be transferred electronically into taxpayers’ notified bank accounts without requiring formal refund applications, similar to the faceless customs clearance and assessment regimes already introduced by FBR.

The FTO said such a mechanism would enhance efficiency, reduce taxpayer hardship and promote a modern, technology-driven tax administration.