The government, for the first time, has admitted that Afghanistan-bound containers for the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf), a Nato-led mission fighting against the insurgency in the country, were used for smuggling purposes.
“We are going to redraft the rules to scan the Isaf/Nato containers, as, according to the existing laws, the FBR is not supposed to touch the containers,” said Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Sohail Ahmad.
Member Customs, FBR, Munir Qureshi, who is responsible for the fool-proof customs clearance of the containers, said that the first meeting to amend the existing Customs General Order was held on Wednesday, which was attended by officials of Defence and Commerce departments as well as the National Logistics Cell. He said that Isaf has also been requested to attend meetings.
He, however, was not ready to take the responsibly for the smuggling racket and termed the issue “a petty matter”.
The media had reported that thousands of containers had gone missing in Pakistan. However, officials said the number of missing containers in this regard were not in the thousands but only a few dozen.
“The reports that 11,000 containers are missing are fabricated. Over a two-year period, a total of 14,064 Afghanistan-bound containers transported goods to the coalition forces fighting against the insurgents,” said the FBR chairman.
On the other hand, media reports stated that the 11,000 Afghanistan-bound containers, which were missing or had disappeared in Pakistan before crossing over, were apart from the registered and cleared 14,064 containers. The missing containers caused a loss of Rs220 billion to the exchequer.
Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has also taken suo moto notice of the news of missing containers. He directed the Chairman FBR and Director General FIA to submit a report on July 5.
The FBR chairman insisted that, according to the initial findings, 43 containers were missing. The Customs Intelligence unearthed that M/s Lunar Products, registered in Kabul, was involved in smuggling liquor under the garb of beverages with connivance of FBR personnel.
Ahmad said the authorities have arrested four company officials and three customs inspectors, Ziaul Haq, Ronaq Zaman and Muhammad Nabi. He said the Customs Intelligence first came to know about the scam two months back when they saw an Isaf container being dismantled at the Ring Road in Peshawar.
“Lunar Products was involved in illegal business with the connivance of the FBR and the matter would be taken up with the Kabul Embassy,” he added. “We cannot jump to conclusions, as the events are continuously unfolding.”
Ahmad said that disappearance of goods from Isaf containers was in nature a policy issue. He said Pakistan has proposed to levy tax on goods imported for Pakistan and collect it on behalf of Kabul. “The second option is to fix an import quota in order to discourage the misuse of the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement”.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2010.
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