Nationwide protests, NBR shutdown persist over chairman row

The NBR Reform Unity Council has announced that its complete shutdown of tax, customs and VAT offices will continue into Sunday, alongside plans for a fresh round of peaceful marches.

The declaration came on Saturday through a statement issued after observing the first day of the shutdown.

According to the statement, all offices under the National Board of Revenue will remain closed, except those handling international services. Meanwhile, the council confirmed that its countrywide “Peaceful March for NBR” will be held on June 29, with processions starting from all tax, customs and VAT offices.

The Unity Council also responded sharply to comments from the business community, who earlier stated that removing NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan was neither desirable nor likely to yield positive outcomes. The council expressed disappointment over what it described as the lack of explanation behind defending the position of a “bureaucrat who collaborated with a fallen fascist regime.”

Reiterating its demand, the council maintained that the removal of the NBR Chairman was essential for bringing about “complete, genuine, sustainable and realistic reforms” to the country’s revenue administration. It urged the government, business community, and the public to support this call, stressing there was “no alternative to his removal for building a capable, modern and harassment-free NBR” that could drive broader economic reforms and enhance export and revenue growth.

However, the Unity Council also acknowledged and appreciated the business community’s broader endorsement of revenue reform objectives and processes. It stated that these perspectives aligned well with the council’s own vision.

The group further indicated its openness to dialogue, expressing readiness to meet with the Finance Adviser at any time to rationally advance reform efforts, referring to proposals laid out in its earlier statement on May 25. Despite this willingness, the council noted that there had been no concrete steps from the Finance Minister’s office to initiate such discussions.

In closing, the Unity Council appealed directly to the Chief Adviser, seeking his intervention to help resolve the standoff in the national interest.