The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued an urgent circular demanding that 16 senior officers promptly submit declarations regarding their foreign nationalities. This directive follows earlier instructions that went largely unheeded.
On June 9, the FBR initially requested officers holding dual citizenship or foreign permanent residency to comply by submitting their declarations by July 8. However, a considerable number of these officers failed to meet the deadline, prompting the revenue authority to escalate the matter.
In a significant development, the FBR released a “most immediate” circular on September 1, reiterating the requirement for these officers to submit their foreign nationality disclosures without any further delay. This move underscores the agency’s commitment to enforcing compliance under the Civil Servants (Disclosure and Regulation of Foreign Nationality) Rules, 2026.
These rules, formalized through Establishment Division S.R.O. No. 893(I)/2026 on June 1, 2026, mandate that all civil servants declare any foreign citizenship, green cards, or permanent residencies within 90 days of acquiring such status.
internal FBR records, the 16 officers subject to this directive include 10 from the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) and six from the Pakistan Customs Service (PCS), all occupying senior bureaucratic grades.
The Inland Revenue Service officers are Sajjad Taslim Azam (BS-21); Amna Faiz Bhatty, Shazia Memon, Naeem Babar, Iram Shabbir, Sanaullah Nawazani, and Uzma Saqib (all BS-20); Muhammad Asfandyar Janjua (BS-19); and Salma Shaheen and Masud Humayun (BS-17).
From the Pakistan Customs Service, the officers include Zahra Haider and Tayyaba Bukhari (BS-20); Jamshed Ali Talpur, Misbah Khatana, and Baasit Hussain (BS-19); along with Farva Batool (BS-17).
The circular, signed by Second Secretary (M/HR.C-I) Zakir Hussain, warns that failure to disclose foreign nationality status or submitting false information will be treated as misconduct under Rule 3(4) of the 2026 Rules and the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020.
Consequently, officers who do not comply risk facing a range of disciplinary measures, from minor and major departmental penalties to suspension or even dismissal from service.
