ISLAMABAD – The old saying “darkness beneath the lamp” fits perfectly on what’s happening inside Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue, where while the Prime Minister is working tirelessly to reform the tax system and eradicate corruption, certain powerful insiders are mocking his efforts and quietly tightening their grip on the very institution meant to collect the nation’s revenue. Among the most glaring examples is that of Mir Badshah Khan Wazir, an officer shrouded in allegations of kickbacks, bribery, and illegal tax refunds — yet instead of being punished, he has been astonishingly rewarded with not one but two of the most influential posts within the FBR. According to an official FIA Lahore Zone notice dated July 23, 2024 (No. FIA/AML/LHR/E-77/2024), Wazir, then serving as Member Operations, was summoned to appear before the FIA Anti-Money Laundering Circle Lahore on July 26, 2024, at 11:00 AM, to answer charges of corruption, illegal approval of tax refunds to large taxpayer companies, and abuse of authority.
The complaint was registered by Shabbir Ahmed s/o Mian Rehmat Ali, and the notice warned that failure to appear would trigger proceedings under Section 175 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Instead of facing the inquiry, Wazir reportedly obtained a stay order from the court, effectively halting the investigation. Insiders allege that he engineered fake refund cases to extract hefty commissions, and in one such dispute, when a subordinate officer was denied his “share,” an argument escalated into gunfire—a shocking incident that made headlines at the time but soon disappeared into bureaucratic silence. Even more alarming is what followed: rather than being suspended or investigated further, Mir Badshah Khan Wazir was rewarded yet again. On October 29, 2025, the Revenue Division issued an official notification (No. 2565-IR-1/2025) appointing him, already serving as Member (Legal-IR), to an additional and highly influential position as Member (IR-Policy) “in addition to his own duties,” signed by Sultan Muhammad Nawaz Nasir, Secretary (Management/HR-IR-I).
The notification was sent to the Printing Corporation of Pakistan for publication in the Gazette of Pakistan, effectively granting one man dual control over both legal and policy wings of the Inland Revenue Service — a level of concentration of power that even senior bureaucrats privately call “unprecedented.” Observers within FBR now whisper that Mir Badshah Khan Wazir has become more powerful than even the controversial Chairman Rashid Langrial, whose own name has appeared in whispers of internal protectionism and selective accountability. This situation lays bare a troubling reality: while the Prime Minister publicly champions reform and transparency, corrupt insiders continue to manipulate the system from within, ensuring that no hand can reach their entrenched privileges. According to Inland Revenue officer Mazhar Irshad, who first brought these revelations forward, such figures are deliberately sabotaging the reform process so that their network of bribes and commissions remains untouched.
The question now stands: will the Prime Minister’s promises of accountability be honored by bringing this inquiry to its logical conclusion — or will the darkness beneath the FBR’s lamp grow deeper, where the corrupt are rewarded with promotions and the honest continue to wait for justice that never arrives?
