LAHORE: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Associations (FAPUASA) has urgently called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to halt its decision to revoke the 25% tax rebate for full-time teachers and researchers, terming the move “illegal, illogical, and a violation of parliamentary authority.”

In a formal letter addressed to the FBR Chairman, FAPUASA President Dr. Amjad Abbas Magsi and General Secretary Dr. Muhammad Uzair demanded the immediate withdrawal of letters, including No. 3997 dated January 8, 2025, issued by the Chief Commissioner of the Regional Tax Office in Rawalpindi.

According to the press release issued by Dr. Ahtisham Ali, Central Information Secretary, FAPUASA Pakistan the association earlier appealed to Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb for the restoration of the tax relief, stressing that the rebate was formally approved during the 2024-25 budget speech on June 28, 2024, and enshrined in National Assembly records and income tax manuals since 2022.

FAPUASA has also forwarded copies of its latest appeal to the President, Prime Minister, and Finance Minister, urging prompt intervention to resolve the escalating crisis.

Expressing “deep concern and disappointment,” Dr. Magsi condemned the FBR’s mid-fiscal-year reversal as a unilateral overreach that disregards parliamentary decisions. “These letters bypass legislative mandates based on arbitrary interpretations, undermining the authority of Parliament,” he stated. The abrupt revocation has sparked widespread unrest among university faculty already struggling with chronic underfunding, delayed salaries, and institutional mismanagement.

While acknowledging the government’s earlier efforts to retain the rebate, FAPUASA warned that failure to resolve the issue would compel the association to launch nationwide protests against the FBR’s “unjustified actions.”

Source: Business Recorder, 2025