Islamabad, January 23, 2025 – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has come under fire from the Senate Standing Committee on Finance for failing to provide satisfactory explanations regarding the purchase of 1,010 Honda cars. The committee has now decided to escalate the matter by writing to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Ministry of Finance to halt this procurement. The issue, initially raised by former federal minister and Senator Faisal Vawda, was brought before the committee a day earlier. The controversy revolves around the procurement of 1,010 vehicles, each with an engine capacity of 1300cc, ostensibly for operational activities. The committee questioned the rationale and justification behind the purchase, with FBR’s chief admin struggling to address the concerns. During the proceedings, the FBR representative attempted to defend the decision, claiming that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had approved the procurement as part of a broader plan to enhance the operational capacity of FBR officials. According to the FBR official, technical and procurement committees were established to oversee the process, which had been underway for several months and was not a sudden decision. However, the committee members raised multiple objections. They questioned why the summary submitted to the ECC explicitly specified vehicles with an engine capacity of up to 1300cc, potentially favoring a particular manufacturer. They also criticized the exclusion of other companies from the bidding process, the lack of competitive bidding, and…