Faisal Vawda alleges FBR officials threatened to kill him over vehicle procurement

Express Tribune

30-01-2025

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Senator Faisal Vawda has revealed that he received death threats from Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers after raising concerns about the purchase of 1,010 vehicles, a matter that was discussed in a Senate Standing Committee meeting. Vawda claimed he has evidence to support these allegations.
The Senate Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwala, convened to discuss the issue of the FBR's vehicle purchase deal. During the meeting, Vawda alleged that FBR officials threatened his life when he raised the issue, stating he was prepared to provide evidence.
He named several FBR officers and revealed he has compiled a list of 54 corrupt officials, which he is ready to share.
FBR Chairman, Rashid Langrial, expressed his concern over the allegations, stating that as a parliamentarian, Vawda's complaint should be taken seriously.
"If you received threats, I could also be at risk. This matter will not be left unchecked. It will be sent to an investigation agency for a criminal inquiry," Langrial said.
Vawda urged the government to act swiftly, stating that he had encountered similar situations during his time in office and did not want the matter to be delayed.
The committee also addressed the issue of FBR officers conducting a raid on a multinational company's office. Committee members, including Farooq H. Naik, stressed that this was a sensitive matter and called for a criminal investigation, suggesting the case be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Langrial assured the committee that a thorough inquiry would be conducted into the raid and said he would provide a complete report on the matter if they trusted him. If they preferred an investigation by another officer, he was open to that as well.
Senator Shibli Faraz raised concerns about the vehicle purchases being made without competitive bidding, calling it a criminal issue that required investigation. Langrial assured the committee that the vehicle purchase process would remain on hold until all concerns were addressed. He urged that the matter not be delayed further.
The issue of procurement process approval by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) was also discussed. Langrial clarified that while the law did not require prior PPRA approval, the process should have been reviewed by the PPRA board. He added that the finance minister should seek detailed information from PPRA regarding the vehicle purchase.
Langrial also questioned why other government departments were not categorised in the same way as FBR officers in the Integrated System, expressing frustration over the lack of consistency across the board.