A large number of tax-related cases remain pending in courts and appellate tribunals across Pakistan, involving disputed revenue exceeding Rs 5,457 billion, raising serious concerns over delayed recoveries.
According to official sources, the volume of pending tax litigation has surged by more than 30 percent over the past two years, increasing from Rs 3,760 billion to Rs 5,457 billion. The Federal Board of Revenue has so far been unable to recover the amount tied up in these cases.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed concern over prolonged delays in the disposal of tax cases and has sought a comprehensive report from relevant authorities on mechanisms to ensure early hearings and swift resolution.
Documents reveal that tax cases worth Rs 3,330 billion are pending in appellate tribunals alone. In the Supreme Court of Pakistan, 3,277 cases involving more than Rs 169 billion remain unresolved.
At the high court level, the Islamabad High Court has 1,979 pending cases involving Rs 482 billion, while the Lahore High Court has the highest caseload, with 7,490 cases involving Rs 963 billion.
Similarly, the Sindh High Court is handling 2,081 cases worth Rs 480 billion, the Peshawar High Court has 241 cases involving Rs 27 billion, and the Balochistan High Court has 37 cases involving Rs 6 billion.
Overall, 11,938 tax cases worth approximately Rs 1,958 billion are pending in various courts, while appellate tribunals alone are dealing with 21,700 cases involving more than Rs 3,330 billion, highlighting the scale of litigation burden on the country’s tax system.
