Published July 29, 2026 Updated about an hour ago ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued four notifications for creation of the “Independent Case Scrutiny Committees” in all federal taxes to end filing of frivolous appeals at the higher courts by the tax department. The FBR has issued four notifications; i.e., SRO.1138 (I)/2026 (income tax); S.R.O1168 (1)/2026 (Federal Excise); SRO.1169 (1)/2026 (Sales Tax) and SRO.1141 (I)/2026 (Customs). The Independent Case Scrutiny Committees will examine the legal merits of tax cases before references are filed before High Courts or petitions are instituted before the Supreme Court or the Federal Constitutional Court. According to the procedure, the proposed framework seeks to institutionalise an independent mechanism for scrutinising litigation under tax laws with the objective of ensuring that only legally sustainable cases involving substantial questions of law or significant revenue implications are pursued before superior courts. The initiative is also intended to improve the quality of tax litigation, minimise avoidable legal disputes, promote consistency in legal positions adopted by the tax department and strengthen overall litigation management within the FBR. The notification provides for the constitution of three Independent Case Scrutiny Committees with…