The Islamabad High Court has suspended orders from the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) to disclose taxpayer data, ruling that financial secrecy takes precedence over the Right to Information Act.
Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro issued a stay on the PIC’s directives, which had instructed the FBR to provide taxpayer information on January 8, 2026, and December 3, 2025. The court ruled that tax records cannot be disclosed even under the Right to Information Act.
FBR had challenged the PIC orders, arguing that the commission exceeded its jurisdiction. The court accepted the FBR’s position, emphasizing that Clause 2 of the Income Tax Ordinance legally bars the disclosure of taxpayer identities.
Legal precedence of financial confidentiality
During the hearing, FBR’s counsel stated that revealing taxpayer information would violate existing laws and financial confidentiality provisions.
The Islamabad High Court agreed, declaring that financial secrecy takes priority over transparency mandates under the RTI framework.
