SC rebukes customs over seized truck

CJP Isa bemoans pattern of vehicles being allowed to be smuggled before being seized by the same authorities

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an appeal by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Customs regarding the confiscation of a smuggling truck.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, leading a three-member bench, highlighted a troubling pattern where vehicles were allegedly allowed to be smuggled before being seized by the very authorities tasked to prevent such activities.

The CJP expressed vehement disapproval, highlighting the complicit behaviour of customs authorities.

He noted that the officials seem to engage in a dual role—initially facilitating smuggling by accepting bribes and subsequently seizing the same vehicles they allowed through.

The contentious truck in question, manufactured in 1996, was confiscated in 2016, raising serious questions about the efficacy of the customs’ oversight.

The CJP took notice of the prolonged duration between the vehicle’s manufacture and its eventual seizure, saying that the truck managed to operate unnoticed for twenty-two years until its seizure.

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“It is a truck, not a mere matchbox, that it escapes the customs’ radar. How is it that the customs authorities remain unaware of the route involved?”

Furthermore, the court reprimanded the customs lawyer for initiating an unnecessary appeal, chastising the officials for bringing such trivial matters to the highest court.

Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa expressed deep concern over the backlog of crucial cases due to such frivolous litigations.

Concluding the hearing, the CJP admonished the customs authorities, urging them to abstain from pursuing baseless litigations in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2023.