Islamabad: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Zafar Hijazi has granted relief to a woman taxpayer who remained unable to obtain lawful tax registration after her CNIC was fraudulently used to secure a National Tax Number.
The ombudsman directed the Federal Board of Revenue to finalise her lawful tax registration within 30 days and remove the procedural and system-related obstacles preventing her from filing income tax returns and complying with tax laws.
The case involved a woman whose CNIC had been misused, without her knowledge or consent, to obtain a fraudulent NTN. Although the FBR subsequently cancelled the fraudulent registration and acknowledged that she was a victim of identity misuse, she remained trapped in the tax registration system and was unable to obtain a valid NTN in her own name.
The FTO observed that administrative justice is not achieved merely by disposing of a complaint on technical grounds. "Where continuing maladministration deprives a citizen of a lawful right, the grievance must be fully and effectively resolved."
While maintaining that the challenge relating to the cancellation of the fraudulent NTN was barred by limitation, the ombudsman held that the woman’s continuing inability to secure lawful tax registration constituted an ongoing instance of maladministration requiring immediate intervention.
