Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has commended the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for achieving a historic milestone of 5.9 million tax return filings in fiscal year 2025, noting that the surge in compliance reflects the nation’s growing confidence in government reforms.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Prime Minister said the addition of 900,000 new tax filers to the national tax net demonstrates the public’s increasing sense of civic responsibility and trust in the government’s economic management. “We are deeply thankful to the people of Pakistan for their confidence in the government’s reforms,” he remarked.
Shehbaz Sharif credited the progress to the government’s focus on tax system modernization and accountability, saying that merit-based practices have been prioritized within the FBR to reward competence and discourage underperformance.
He said he personally oversees the FBR’s digitization drive, chairing weekly meetings to ensure that online filing systems remain accessible and user-friendly. The Prime Minister also highlighted the success of the automated clearance system at ports, which he said has reduced corruption and improved efficiency.
Similarly, the expansion of the Point of Sale (POS) network has helped minimize sales tax evasion and limit the informal economy, he added.
Citing the tangible outcomes of these reforms, Shehbaz Sharif said that tax revenues rose by Rs 9 billion compared to the previous fiscal year — a clear indicator of the reform program’s effectiveness.
“The process of further reforms in the FBR system is continuing without interruption,” he affirmed, reiterating his government’s commitment to transparency, efficiency, and the eradication of corruption in Pakistan’s taxation framework.
