FBR Likely to Get Powers to Investigate Government Officials Over Assets Beyond Income

Islama bad: Federal Board of Revenue is likely to be granted authority to scrutinize and investigate government employees possessing assets beyond their declared sources of income as part of a new transparency and accountability initiative.

According to reports, the government has decided to modernize the monitoring system for public officials’ assets by introducing an artificial intelligence-based mechanism to identify unusual wealth and suspicious financial holdings.

During a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, senior officials, including the secretary of the Establishment Division, informed lawmakers that the FBR would be empowered to investigate government officials whose assets exceed their legitimate earnings.

Officials said the AI-powered monitoring system would generate “red flag” alerts whenever unusual increases in financial records or assets of government officers are detected, enabling the FBR to launch inquiries promptly.

Nabeel Awan, Secretary of the Establishment Division, told the committee that from December 2026, all government officers from Grade 17 to Grade 22 would be required to publicly declare their assets and financial details through a new digital declaration system being developed in consultation with the FBR.

Under the proposed policy, officers will also have to disclose details of family assets, foreign visits, and other financial information.

The briefing further stated that senior FBR officials, including the chairman and members of Inland Revenue, would have the authority to initiate immediate investigations into suspicious financial activities identified through the AI system.