KARACHI: A majority of importers is upset due to the non-professional behavior of Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad who is currently performing his duties at Customs Appraisement East R&D section. The importers are of the view that appraisers like Dost Mohammad are bringing a bad name to the Customs Department.
Shaan Sanitary Managing Director Musa Ali Jan said it is not the only case of betel nuts, the principal appraiser and his staff members ask importers to bring documents of consignments again and again with an intention to get ‘bribe’. He appealed the customs high-ups to take action against Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad.
Farooq Ahmed Shah belongs to M/s SG Traders, SITE area Karachi, said all importers are on the same page and that the FBR and customs high-ups should take action against this Principal Appraiser because he didn’t do anything to stop smuggling rather he is involved in facilitating the smugglers and discouraging legal importers. Principal Appraiser Dost always demands bribe to fulfill his illegal motives.
Moqeem Khan, CEO of Anjum Associates Federal B Area Karachi, while exclusively talking to Customs Today about Dost Muhammad said that he had submitted three petitions against Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad in 2017. He said that he also wrote to the customs higher authorities that the importers were facing problems, as Principal Appraiser Dost is always using different methods to harass legal importers. He said that the customs official should take strict action against this person.
A group of importers (Korangi Association of Trade and Industry) (KATI), while talking to Customs Today, said that some importers have submitted complaint against Dost Muhammad. He always stops legal consignments and demand money for clearance of consignments. In this case, importers face a lot of problems in clearance of their consignments. “We demand the higher authorities to do something and take action against Dost Muhammad,” they said.
Principal Appraiser Dost Muhammad is illegally operating smuggling networks for clearance of contraband items like Indian gutkha, banned medicines, and betel nuts which not only causes serious loss to the customs exchequer but also brings defamation for the Customs Department.
Managing Director of Hilal Leather Korangi Industrial area Karachi, Amir Mansorii, said Dost Muhammad is a big stain of Customs Department’s face. He said:“I have a personal experience and I have faced that corrupt Principal Appraiser five months before when I was engaged in clearance of consignment. He called me and said you have to come in my office and bring all documents of your consignments, while I had submitted all the documents one week before. His intention was to get bribe. I request to authorities to take strict action against that person.”
