Ailing FBR chief to meet doctors today

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Shabbar Zaidi said on Thursday that he will decide to avail sick leave after consulting his doctor on Friday (January 31).

Responding to a query of Business Recorder here on Thursday, Shabbar Zaidi said, "I will seek doctors' advice tomorrow and will then decide."

There were unconfirmed reports on Thursday that the FBR Chairman has informed Prime Minister's Adviser on Finance Dr Hafeez Shaikh and other senior government officials that he is going on leave from Monday due to health issues. There were also reports that the FBR Chairman will go on medical leave again from Monday (Feburary 3).

FBR officials said that the chairman went to Karachi on Thursday evening and his expected medical leave would start from Monday (February 3).

During current week, the FBR Chairman had cancelled many meetings due to health issues and only attended very important government engagements.

Earlier, Shabbar Zaidi had gone out on sick leave from January 6 to January 19, 2020.

On January 11, 2020, the FBR had categorically rejected the rumours pertaining to 'any sort of rifts in the economic team' of the government. The earlier statement said that, "Any rumours of any sort of rifts in the economic team are utterly incorrect," said FBR in a statement issued here, adding that the Chairman of the Board, Shabbar Zaidi was on a two-week leave.

The leave of chairman was necessitated by his annual medical check-up in Karachi and some family commitments, the statement added.

The chairman as a part of economic team of the PM enjoys full confidence of the Prime Minister and his Advisor on Finance, the past statement added.