ISLAMABAD, December 16, 2025: President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday administered the oath of office to Mr. M. Zafar-ul-Haq Hijazi as the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) at a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr, marking a new phase for Pakistan’s taxpayer grievance redressal system.
Mr. Hijazi is a distinguished Chartered Accountant and a Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP), with more than four decades of professional experience spanning taxation, corporate and capital market regulation, audit oversight, financial management, and advisory services. His appointment brings extensive regulatory and governance expertise to the Office of the Federal Tax Ombudsman.
He has previously served as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), where he led major regulatory reforms that strengthened corporate governance, investor protection, and capital market oversight. Mr. Hijazi also served as Chairman of the Audit and Oversight Board of Pakistan, contributing to improved audit quality and financial reporting standards.
Following the oath-taking ceremony, Mr. Hijazi called on President Zardari. The meeting underscored the importance of the Federal Tax Ombudsman’s role as an independent institution responsible for providing fair, transparent, and cost-free relief to taxpayers facing maladministration by tax authorities.
With his deep understanding of financial regulation and public accountability, Mr. Hijazi is expected to further strengthen the FTO’s mandate of ensuring efficient grievance redressal, institutional transparency, and enhanced taxpayer confidence across the country.
