Karachi law and order: Court orders reprobe of missing containers
Directs authorities to verify arms dealers’ records, conduct door-to-door inspection of licenced weapons.
The hearing was adjourned till November 11, when the matter will be taken up in Islamabad. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered customs authorities to re-investigate whether arms and ammunition were smuggled into the country, either in the shape of Nato/Isaf supplies or under Afghan Transit Trade, when 19,000 containers went missing before reaching their destination in Afghanistan.
Hearing the Karachi law and order case at the apex court’s Karachi registry, the bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed officials of the concerned department to inform the court how many of the weapons imported over the last three years were put up for sale in Karachi. The bench also directed the customs department to verify the records of arms dealers and forward that information to law enforcement agencies for the door-to-door inspection of licensed arms to make sure they are not being used for illegal purposes.
During the proceedings, Director General Transit Trade Khawar Farid claimed that none of the 19,000 containers that went missing in Pakistan, as mentioned in the Suddle Commission’s report, contained arms or ammunition.
But a former legal adviser for the Federal Board of Revenue, Raja Muhammad Irshad, making a reference to two reports prepared for this case, stated that the missing containers were never examined by customs officers.
At this, Justice Chaudhry remarked that customs authorities were not serious about ascertaining the contents of containers moving through Pakistan under the umbrella of Afghan Transit Trade, Nato or Isaf.
“Law enforcement agencies, including the customs department, are bound to discharge their duties to ensure that no goods are being imported contrary to the law,” he said.
Earlier in the proceedings, Chief Collector Customs Nasir Masroor submitted a report regarding the massive quantity of arms and ammunition imported in the country over the last three years, but did not specify how many of them had been meant for Karachi.
Separately, Attorney General Munir A Malik submitted the plan of action, jointly prepared by five federal agencies in compliance with the court’s directions, to crack down on the smuggling of arms, ammunition and drugs, and prevent the evasion of taxes.
Apprising the bench about the plan, Malik said all arms and ammunition entering the country would be physically examined by customs officers. He added that customs officers would also conduct spot checking of at least five containers daily, while staff posted permanently at the Karachi port would intercept and check all cargo relieved of charge.
Customs check points at Ghagar Pathak were being strengthened as well and all containerised cargo passing through both of Karachi’s ports would be processed through the new web-based one customs system by December this year, the attorney general said.
In addition, Malik said, the interior secretary has agreed to grant anti-smuggling powers to the Pakistan Coast Guards. The director general of Customs Intelligence and Information has also agreed to share information with the Sindh government to purge weapons and drug dens from Karachi, he added.
“The FBR has received the federal government’s approval to re-negotiate bilateral treaties pertaining to the avoidance of double taxation with Switzerland, which will also provide access to the ill-gotten wealth stacked in Swiss banks,” the attorney general told the bench.
The bench, meanwhile, ordered the Anti-Narcotics Force director general to initiate action to curb the smuggling of drugs in Karachi and submit a report in this regard within seven days. At the same time, Sindh Advocate General Khalid Javed Khan informed the bench that the provincial government had prepared a plan to restore law and order in the city but he could not disclose details pertaining to it.
The bench expressed confidence of the future plan of action, observing that it should be the law enforcement agencies’ topmost priority to ensure the writ of the government in Karachi. It directed the federal interior secretary, FBR Chairman, finance secretary and Sindh chief secretary to provide all possible support to law enforcement agencies towards this end.
The hearing was adjourned till November 11, when the matter will be taken up in Islamabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2013.
The Supreme Court on Friday ordered customs authorities to re-investigate whether arms and ammunition were smuggled into the country, either in the shape of Nato/Isaf supplies or under Afghan Transit Trade, when 19,000 containers went missing before reaching their destination in Afghanistan.
Hearing the Karachi law and order case at the apex court’s Karachi registry, the bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed officials of the concerned department to inform the court how many of the weapons imported over the last three years were put up for sale in Karachi. The bench also directed the customs department to verify the records of arms dealers and forward that information to law enforcement agencies for the door-to-door inspection of licensed arms to make sure they are not being used for illegal purposes.
During the proceedings, Director General Transit Trade Khawar Farid claimed that none of the 19,000 containers that went missing in Pakistan, as mentioned in the Suddle Commission’s report, contained arms or ammunition.
But a former legal adviser for the Federal Board of Revenue, Raja Muhammad Irshad, making a reference to two reports prepared for this case, stated that the missing containers were never examined by customs officers.
At this, Justice Chaudhry remarked that customs authorities were not serious about ascertaining the contents of containers moving through Pakistan under the umbrella of Afghan Transit Trade, Nato or Isaf.
“Law enforcement agencies, including the customs department, are bound to discharge their duties to ensure that no goods are being imported contrary to the law,” he said.
Earlier in the proceedings, Chief Collector Customs Nasir Masroor submitted a report regarding the massive quantity of arms and ammunition imported in the country over the last three years, but did not specify how many of them had been meant for Karachi.
Separately, Attorney General Munir A Malik submitted the plan of action, jointly prepared by five federal agencies in compliance with the court’s directions, to crack down on the smuggling of arms, ammunition and drugs, and prevent the evasion of taxes.
Apprising the bench about the plan, Malik said all arms and ammunition entering the country would be physically examined by customs officers. He added that customs officers would also conduct spot checking of at least five containers daily, while staff posted permanently at the Karachi port would intercept and check all cargo relieved of charge.
Customs check points at Ghagar Pathak were being strengthened as well and all containerised cargo passing through both of Karachi’s ports would be processed through the new web-based one customs system by December this year, the attorney general said.
In addition, Malik said, the interior secretary has agreed to grant anti-smuggling powers to the Pakistan Coast Guards. The director general of Customs Intelligence and Information has also agreed to share information with the Sindh government to purge weapons and drug dens from Karachi, he added.
“The FBR has received the federal government’s approval to re-negotiate bilateral treaties pertaining to the avoidance of double taxation with Switzerland, which will also provide access to the ill-gotten wealth stacked in Swiss banks,” the attorney general told the bench.
The bench, meanwhile, ordered the Anti-Narcotics Force director general to initiate action to curb the smuggling of drugs in Karachi and submit a report in this regard within seven days. At the same time, Sindh Advocate General Khalid Javed Khan informed the bench that the provincial government had prepared a plan to restore law and order in the city but he could not disclose details pertaining to it.
The bench expressed confidence of the future plan of action, observing that it should be the law enforcement agencies’ topmost priority to ensure the writ of the government in Karachi. It directed the federal interior secretary, FBR Chairman, finance secretary and Sindh chief secretary to provide all possible support to law enforcement agencies towards this end.
The hearing was adjourned till November 11, when the matter will be taken up in Islamabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2013.