ISLAMABAD: The federal government has appointed Rashid Mahmood Langrial of the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS) as the head of the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), Geo News reported citing an announcement on Wednesday.
The Grade 21 officer “is transferred and appointed Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue under Section 10 of the Civil Servants Act, 1973 with immediate effect,” said a notification issued today by the Establishment Division of the Cabinet Secretariat.
Sources informed today that the PAS officer’s name has been proposed to the Prime Minister for the highest position in the government body.
A graduate of Government College Lahore and Harvard Kennedy School, where he received his Master of Public Administration (International Development) (MPA-ID), Langrial is the author of: “The Story of the Fair Sex: Women’s Socio-Economic Conditions Over Time”.
Sources revealed that senior officers of the tax collection body did not cooperate with Tiwana, who is believed to be close to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
The former FBR chief, who was appointed during the caretaker government, had to face criticism on the issue of digitization and division between IRS and customs groups, sources said.
Sources close to the FBR chairman say that the tax machinery achieved a revenue of Rs 9,311 billion in the last fiscal year by posting a 30% growth in revenue despite a difficult economic environment.
After joining the Civil Service of Pakistan in 1995, he served in various government posts in various sectors. Served as Chief Secretary Gilgit Baltistan (March 2022 – April 2022), Commissioner Lahore Division (October 2013 – January 2015) under Government of Punjab, Minister for Agriculture Punjab (January 2015 – September 2015), Managing Director of National Power Parks Management Company (NPPMCL) (Pvt) (2015 – 2018) under the Federal Government, Chairman Lahore Ring Road Authority (July 2011 – October 2013) under the Punjab Government and also Minister of Tourism Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2019 – 2020).
The development came after former FBR chairman Amjad Zubair Tiwana resigned from his office on July 31 and asked the Prime Minister’s Secretariat to remove him from the FBR chief post.
Sources told Geo News that the former board chief consulted some cabinet members before resigning and his friends suggested him to step down.
Langrial currently serves as Secretary of the Power Division. He was promoted to the position by the Establishment Division in March of this year from the position of Additional Secretary of the Industry and Production Division.
