Overview
- The Senate sub-committee meeting, which met Monday, ordered FBR Chief Operations Officer Javed Iqbal Tarar to leave after senators said he gave misleading tax data and called for his removal from office.
- The panel formally demanded a complete 20-year dataset covering tobacco tax assessments, collections, registered factories, brands and documented pending dues to clarify a reported gap of roughly Rs40 billion against earlier Rs75 billion figures.
- The Federal Investigation Agency told the committee it finished its inquiry into the theft of cigarettes worth about Rs250 million and will register a criminal case in Peshawar naming a Deputy Collector of Customs and two inspectors as responsible.
- Senators instructed authorities to seek Interpol help to locate an absconding customs official linked to the theft probe and directed the FIA to reopen and expand investigations into alleged corruption tied to Badshah Wazir.
- The convener ordered the Press Information Department to hand over full media contract and expenditure records for public-awareness campaigns aired on 92 TV channels, and the panel warned its oversight could lead to audits, personnel changes and wider enforcement actions across the tobacco sector.