KARACHI: Various customs officials took illegal protection of an ‘illiterate’ person to save themselves from higher FBR and customs authorities against their corrupt practices. Customs officials including Dost Muhammad, Noor Akbar, Ehtesham-ul-Haq Paracha, Khalid Pervez, Khalid Hasan Awan and others give Rs 2000-3000 bribe to this ‘illiterate’ person to write in their favour.
Sources said this nexus of customs staff with the illiterate person is proved when he writes in favour of some customs staff like Dost, Noor, Ehtesham-ul-Haq Paracha, Khalid Pervez, Khalid Hasan Awan etc. and protects them from getting exposed. Whenever any media house exposes corruption and illegal activities of someone or some organisation then immediately the illiterate person takes minimum Rs 2,000 from those corrupt persons and organisations and starts protecting them by writing in their favour.
This ‘illiterate’ person who cannot even write proper English has launched a website only to spread rumours against honest customs officials but also he protects those customs officials who are corrupt and gives him bribe.
Sources said this ‘illiterate’ person cannot even spell the name of the department ‘customs’ properly and he spells it wrongly as ‘custom’ and also he has no connection with ‘news’ as not registered which is a crime to operate as a newspaper. It is mandatory under the law to first procure a declaration from the information ministry to operate as a newspaper. His so-called ‘news’ organisation has no address where someone can send legal notices.
Sources said this ‘illiterate’ person speaks against several senior journalists and anchor persons of various high profile TV channels and newspapers so as to malign them and to protect the corruption of this nexus of corrupt customs officials and shipping lines. The proof of this is also that he roams about freely in Customs House premises where irrelevant people are not allowed entry although he is not a clearing agent or importer or registered media person.
Sources revealed he has also earlier threatened media persons physically and a letter was given to the Chief Collector Abdul Rasheed Sheikh to stop entry of this ‘criminal’ in Customs House and all Customs premises but still implementation of this is awaited as the ‘illiterate’ person has links with some corrupt elements within the customs department.
Sources said the matter should be investigated by FBR and customs high-ups as these corrupt officials are giving bribe to this ‘illiterate’ person and using him to malign honest officials. This also invites high level investigation against Dost Muhammad, Noor Akbar Khan, Ehtesham-ul-Haq Paracha, Khalid Pervez, Khalid Hasan Awan for secretly supporting an ‘illiterate’ person for hiding their own corruption.
NAB and FIA should also start probe against the entire nexus of corrupt customs officials, shipping lines and ‘illiterate’ person to expose their nefarious agenda and to shut this ‘illegal’ news website which is being used to protect mega corruption cases.
