FBR chairman’s challenge: ‘Show one Sifarish-based posting since my arrival’

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Rashid Langrial has thrown an open challenge to identify “even a single case” of posting or transfer made under political or external influence since his appointment.

He insisted that the newly introduced peer-based performance and integrity rating system has materialised the much-needed demand of making appointments on the basis of principle of “right person for the right job”, ending the longstanding culture of Sifarish in the country’s top tax administration.

Speaking to The News, Langrial said that no officer now dares seek political intervention for a posting. “Anyone who attempts to use influence faces immediate suspension and possible dismissal,” he said, adding that the entire organisation “now understands the cost of trying to bypass the system.”

He cited a recent incident involving a federal minister who sought the transfer of an officer. “I asked him to verify whether the request was initiated by the officer or by someone close to him. The minister later returned saying his request should be ignored, as the officer had confirmed he never approached anyone for a posting.”

The chairman’s remarks come as the new performance management regime evaluation introduced in April 2025 and approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has begun to fundamentally reshape governance inside the FBR. The system, replacing the discredited PER/ACR regime, uses anonymous peer evaluations and forced-ranking to assess every Customs and Inland Revenue officer every six months.

Under the previous system, 97 percent of officers were consistently graded “outstanding” or “very good,” and 99 percent were rated “honest,” leaving postings vulnerable to lobbying and influence.

The new system requires each officer to be reviewed by around 45 peers, with ratings distributed across fixed 20 percent brackets (A to E). Integrity is judged through peer scoring, while a technical panel evaluates the quality of work. The process is fully digitised and cannot be manipulated by any authority.

According to internal data, shared with The News, the system has already produced major shifts.

The data shows that in the Inland Revenue Service, high-rated officers (A and B) now hold 89 percent of 108 key positions, up from just 26 percent before the new system. In Customs, the share of high-rated officers posted on 21 critical assignments has risen from 29 percent to 94 percent. Officers with low integrity rankings have been systematically removed from sensitive roles. Langrial said the combination of peer-based integrity evaluations, digitised controls and six-monthly reviews has created an environment where “merit is enforced automatically, not through personal discretion.” He invited people to check the repute of key FBR officials posted around Pakistan to understand the change.

The prime minister was so impressed from the FBR’s new performance evaluation regime that while approving the new system, Shehbaz Sharif had tasked the Establishment Division to extend the FBR-designed model across all civil service cadres. Senior officials believe the transition could dramatically improve governance and service delivery across the federal bureaucracy. “The results are clear and measurable,” Langrial said. “This system is now making sure the right person is placed in the right job and influence has no role left to play.”

Meanwhile, sources within the FBR confirmed that the FBR, once a textbook example of Sifarish culture in the bureaucracy, has now successfully set itself apart from other government departments that remain plagued by politicisation and external interference in matter related to their internal personnel management affairs.