Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif established a five-member inquiry committee on the dysfunctionality of the track and trace system in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

According to the sources, the PM established the committee under the chairmanship of former finance secretary Tariq Bajwa.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Single Wind, the CEO of the National IT Board, the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Law and a technical expert of the CDA are included in the committee.

The sources said the committee will find the reasons for the failure in full implementation of FBR's track and trace system and examine the role of FBR officers in the failure of the system too.

The sources said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had complained to the Pakistani government that the FBR had failed to implement the Track and Trace system in four sectors over the past two years.

The IMF has urged the government to fully implement the Track and Trace system to curb major tax evasion.

The sources said despite the efforts, the FBR has been unable to implement the Track and Trace system in sectors including cigarettes, cement, sugar, and fertilizers over the past two years.

The sources said the inquiry committee will also explore alternatives such as the adoption of stamp systems and vendor-based solutions instead of electronic systems for the Track and Trace system.

Reporter: Waqas Azeem