ISLAMABAD: Collector Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhary showed displeasure over carelessness of customs staff for not properly pursuing two cases in the honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Sources told Customs Today that on October 19, 2018, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) informed Customs Collectorate that two cases of the Collectorate are scheduled for hearing before Supreme Court on October 22, 2018. It added that the information was immediately communicated to relevant staff by the additional collector with instructions to coordinate and ensure appearance of lawyer and concerned assistant collector and deputy collector.
However, the sources stated that despite these unambiguous instructions in one of the cases CPLA No.1220/2017 (AFU, IIAP), no officer appeared before the apex court which resulted in creation an embarrassing situation for FBR and the Collectorate. It added that the concerned assistant collector had also informed that she did not receive clear instructions for appearance before the Supreme Court.
Sources said that considering the sensitivity of the issue, the Collector of Customs has expressed his displeasure on the handling of the issue and warned the staff and officers that they should be more careful in future in handling and coordination cases at higher judiciary level.
