ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed Wednesday that new cargo scanners have been installed at Port Qasim under the Container Security Initiative (CSI) for scanning US-bound export cargo containers.
Replying to a question raised by MNA Shireen Mazari during a point of order, Parliamentary Secretary Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan said that new equipment had come from America to replace the old one for scanning the containers.
He said that there was no question of selling out port Qasim Security to United States adding that after 9/11 it had been common practice that the American-bound cargo was scanned outside US.
Currently, there are 58 destinations from where the American-bound cargo was scanned he said and maintained that the same practice was done at Port Qasim. He said that the $154.3 million were spent by US and $154.3 by Pakistan to install the new facilities, adding the old equipment would be donated to Model Customs for clearance of cargo. The Parliamentary Secretary clarified that the equipment was managed and maintained by the Pakistan Customs.
