Prosecution of Public Servant for Disclosure of Information

Prosecution of Public Servant for Disclosure of Information via Section 198: The Income Tax Law places a bar, prohibition on disclosing of confidential information by a public servant to an unauthorized person. Its non- compliance has been dispensed with a levy of penalty of Rupees 500,000/- or imprisonment of not more than one year.

The Amendment Ordinance has not only abolished the above Section altogether but it has been made to have been abolished retrospectively from the inception of Income Tax Ordinance 2001.

It is important to point out that timing of such an amendment alongside the recent incidence of hacking of IRIS system can be viewed by some quarters as an attempt to deflect any potential ramifications. Needless to reiterate that it has been learnt that valuable and
confidential information has allegedly been stolen by the hackers.

Certain amendments through third amendment ordinance and this Ordinance shall be called the Tax Laws (Third Amendment) Ordinance, 2021.

For more information on FBR’s new regulations / circulars/ SROs/ amendments in taxation laws in Pakistan please visit https://www.fbr.gov.pk/

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