Former Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Shabbar Zaidi has called for major structural and economic reforms in Pakistan, including the relocation of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) headquarters from Islamabad to Karachi.

Speaking at a discussion on his book “32 Onkar Road” on the second day of the 17th Karachi Literature Festival, Shabbar shared his views on governance, history, economics and society.

He said: “The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) performs 100 times better than the FBR, despite both being government institutions.”

According to him, one key reason is that the State Bank’s headquarters is in Karachi, whereas the FBR operates from Islamabad.

He suggested: “If the government wants to improve the performance of the FBR, its headquarters should be shifted to Karachi.”

Explaining why he wrote the book, Shabbar said he had spent most of his life in Karachi and Lahore, two cities that are culturally and socially different.

Within the chartered accountancy profession, he said, many voices remain unheard in society.

He also observed that Pakistan’s history is often recorded emotionally rather than strategically.

The book also reflects his personal views on religion. However, he acknowledged removing certain pages, stating that society has “a certain level of tolerance”.

Shabbar also shared his perspective on Pakistan’s economic direction and said the country did not free itself from the supremacy of the Western economic system.

He argued that independence in 1947 was political rather than economic.

Referring to Islamabad’s relations with international money lenders, he claimed that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) does not seek to address Pakistan’s core economic issues.

Discussing leadership and governance, he said there is no comparison between former prime ministers Shaukat Aziz and Dr Manmohan Singh, adding that placing the two in the same bracket would be unfair to Dr Singh.

He underscored Dr Singh’s distinguished academic background and teaching career before entering politics, noting that Shaukat Aziz did not have a comparable academic trajectory.

He also reflected on their lives after leaving office, pointing out that the former Indian prime minister returned to Chandigarh, whereas Shaukat Aziz chose to settle in New York.

In this context, he raised a broader question about where one ultimately considers one’s true home.

Shabbar also said that individuals without dual citizenship in Pakistan often feel like “second-grade citizens”, describing this as a dilemma faced by many members of the younger generation who seek opportunities abroad to feel like first-class citizens in their own country.

On political leadership, he said, Imran Khan cannot be compared with Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, arguing that Imran Khan’s rise was based on his personal struggle, while Benazir Bhutto inherited a political legacy and Nawaz Sharif’s rise is widely known.

Reflecting on history and social divisions, he said that differentiating people on the basis of religion is among the gravest wrongs.

He referred to demographic changes during Partition, noting the significant shifts in population in Punjab and cities such as Lahore and Amritsar, and described the long-term impact of Partition on the region.