The commission has denied the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi is in any way tied with the workings of the Customs Department. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
A commission set up by the Supreme Court to investigate the alleged disappearance of Nato arms shipments from Karachi port has found no evidence of arms smuggling, The Express Tribune has learnt.
The director general Rangers had told the top court on August 30 that around 19,000 shipping containers, containing weapons and vehicles, had gone missing during the tenure of a former minister for ports and shipping.
In its 15-page report submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the commission said the DG Rangers did not provide proof to substantiate his claim. Citing the report, sources said most of the containers that allegedly disappeared were carrying goods as part of the Afghan transit trade. Only a few hundred, they added, belonged to Nato.
According to sources, the commission dispelled the impression that its probe into the missing shipments was affected by a statement of the US embassy. In the statement issued last week, US official denied any Nato containers had gone missing from the Karachi port.
The report admitted, however, that the Customs Department cannot check every instance of smuggling due to a lack of proper facilities.
“The commission accepts there are flaws in the clearance system of the Customs Department… all stations do not have similar facilities, therefore smuggling cannot be stopped entirely,” said a source, citing the report.
Still, the commission has denied the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi is in any way tied with the workings of the Customs Department. The lack of uniform facilities at all customs stations is the reason behind discrepancies that have produced a scandal like the alleged disappearance of Nato containers.
It adds that while the inefficiency of the Customs Department has insignificant bearing on Karachi’s law and order, it continues to inflict massive losses on the national exchequer. As such, the report recommends all customs stations be equipped with uniform facilities and their capabilities be upgraded.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2013.
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The ATT has being going on for decades and it is a system deliberately designed to be abused by all and mega money is in play............when all are involved then no one is guilty.
How a responsible officer on such a high post can utter such baseless allegation against a minister of MQM in front of Supereme Court of Pakistan and how we can expect an impartial operation in Karachi. Pakistan has been spoiled ethnical hatred. Allah save our Pakistan and true pakistanis from the real enemies of pakistan.
America denied it by saying that no arm sent through Karachi Port.All arms are sent by air always.Then how can we beleive that this case is actual? If this is a real case then why america lied in this connection? If 19000 containers vanished then no doubt America would have investigated this matter.But America is calm.Very dubious situation.
@Faju: No, there will be no apology,its ok anything and everything can be blamed on MQM. May it be Jinnahpur or the recent conatiners' case, its always MQM, and they later get absolved, which doesnt get media attention as much as the allegation does
DG Rangers should be punished and apologies to the nation specially to the former minister for making false statement in front of superior court...
Does DG Rangers know that containers are cleared by Customs Intelligence, Border Intelligence, Pakistan Coast Guards (Navy), ISI & MI?
He also forgot that there are 100s if not 1000s of Army, Rangers, FC & Police check-posts between Karachi & FATA (although they have been unsuccessful in curtailing the militant influx in Karachi - so they could have shown similar incompetence in this case).