BAHAWALPUR: The regional tax office of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) claimed to have recovered Rs536 million in taxes from the Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB) by freezing its bank accounts.

According to the Inland Revenue (IR) officials, the recovered amount pertained to IUB’s outstanding tax liabilities for the tax year 2020. The officials said the department carried out the recovery operation under the supervision of Bahawalpur Zone Additional Commissioner Khalid Sultan a day earlier. The recovery was made by freezing the accounts of the IUB, the officials said.

Talking to Dawn, Bahawalpur Zone IR Commissioner Mumtaz Ahmed Khan confirmed the recovery of Rs536 million. He said that an order under Section 161 (10) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 had been passed against the IUB for the recovery of Rs610 million. However, he said that after the expiry of the prescribed period for the payment of the tax, a recovery notice under Section 138 was also duly issued to the IUB.

Subsequently, the IR commissioner said that after obtaining the requisite approval from the competent authority, notices were issued to banks for the attachment of IUB’s bank accounts. As a result, recovery of Rs536 million was successfully made against the outstanding demand, while the recovery of the remaining amount was still pending, he added.

The university can face financial difficulties, including payment of salaries to its employees, because of its frozen bank accounts

Dawn has learnt that IUB could face financial constraints after its bank accounts had been frozen and thousands of its employees, including teachers, could be affected.

The IUB had so far not issued any statement regarding the matter.

OPEN COURT: As many as 328 complaints were received during an open court by the Punjab chief minister complaint cell at the IUB Ghotvi Hall on Friday.

Out of the total complaints, 90 were against the revenue department, while the remaining 250 were against other government departments.

Cell chairperson Saima Farooq issued orders to resolve the complaints and Commissioner Irfan Ali Kathia, RPO Ghazi Muhammad Salahuddin, Deputy Commissioner Syed Hassan Raza and DPO Rana Abdul Wahab and heads of all regional and divisional departments attended the open court.

According to an official hand-out, chairperson Saima Farooq assured the complainants that no negligence in the resolution of their complaints would be tolerated and a follow-up would also be ensured.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026