LAHORE – Friction between newly formed FBR’s Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union and senior management of the Regional Tax Office (RTO), Lahore has boiled over after the display of banners against corruption in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The episode began in the afternoon, when some office-bearers of the Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union put some banners up in the premises of the RTO, Lahore inscribed with slogans against corruption, abuse of powers and misuse of official vehicles on the part of senior officials of FBR. After hanging the banners, union representatives did not leave the RTO compound when the senior management took exception to their bold step.
AC Headquarters II Aftab Alam came out of his office and tried to convince the Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union President Mian Abdul Qayyum and other union representatives to remove the banner from RTO premises, but was unsuccessful in his efforts. The management did not surrender and forcibly not only removed the banners but also closed the union office, an insider revealed.
Speaking to Pakistan Today, Federal Revenue Alliance Secretary Information Arshad Ali Qureshi said on the direction of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, the alliance had started a nationwide campaign against corruption and malpractices in the FBR. He said that a number of banners had been displayed in different tax offices across Pakistan, but no resistance was felt in any tax office except RTO, Lahore.
Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union President Mian Abdul Qayyum claimed that the RTO management was ill-intentioned and wanted to hide its corruption by suppressing the truth. He claimed that on the pretext of operational duties, more than 90 vehicles had been provided to RTO officials, but none are used for official purposes. He alleged that most officials from the senior management were using vehicles over and above their entitlement.
Citing the example of AC Headquarters I Asim Ahmad, he claimed that he (Ahmad) himself was using official vehicles, which were far beyond his official entitlement. He said though there were many irregularities in the tax departments but only misuse and abuse of powers cost billions to public exchequer.
He alleged that the senior management at RTO, Lahore was also denying promotions and basic rights to FBR employees, which could not be tolerated as the Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union was formed to protect the rights of staff and workers. He asked the prime minister to take stern action against such irregularities.
When contacted AC Headquarters II Aftab Alam, who was negotiating with the union representative in the whole episode, he refused to comment on the story by stating that it was beyond the scope of his duties. He said AC Headquarters I Asim Ahmad was the right person to speak with. However, Asim Ahmad was not available to comment despite many attempts to contact via calls and text messages.
