FBR Unveils Freight Forwarders Licensing Rules 2025

Islamabad, July 16, 2025, 04:38 PM PKT — The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has unveiled a groundbreaking move, launching the Freight Forwarders Licensing Rules, 2025, via SRO 1222(I)/2025, marking Pakistan’s first comprehensive regulatory framework for freight forwarding across sea, air, land, and rail transport, ending decades of unregulated operations, per news reports. Led by Director of Inland Office of Customs Operations (IOCO) Imran Sajjad Bukhari, the rules mandate a non-transferable, two-year license, renewable upon meeting strict conditions, including no sub-letting and formal approval for business structure changes (e.g., proprietorship to partnership), requiring partnership deeds and interviews/tests.

Additional safeguards cover partner retirement, partnership dissolution, and company shifts, with license transfer to legal heirs allowed post-licensee death if criteria are met. Lost or damaged licenses can be replaced for a fee, signaling a push to formalize the vital trade and logistics sector. Web context highlights regulatory gaps, while posts found on X show mixed views—some welcome structure, others fear compliance costs. Critically, the narrative of “industry formalization” may mask enforcement challenges—web data points to past oversight issues, and X sentiment suggests distrust in smooth rollout, hinting at potential hurdles.