KARACHI: A two-member bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the customs officials and directed them to file their respective para wise comments on next date of hearing, on a constitutional petition filed by Imroz Khan and others, who were nominated in First Information Report (FIR) for smuggling of betel nuts.
On 16 August 2021, during the hearing, counsel for the petitioners argued that customs officials made a FIR and claimed that on an actionable information, customs officials intercepted a Hino truck and driver was signaled to stop, the truck driver who was later on identified the name of Imroz Khan responded and stopped the tuck, cursory search of the loaded truck was conducted in presence of witnesses’ sepoys.
He further argued that the driver informed that he just picked these betel nut bags on rent for transportation to Karachi, as he could not produce any legal documents and no one was present there to claim the ownership of the goods.
He further argued that on the basis of the above said FIR, the case has been handed over to the investigation officer, who with the malafide intention and ulterior motives issued the notice to the petitioners without any cogent reason, due to that reason the petitioner having no concerned with the alleged truck as well as case property.
Citing Collector of Customs Karachi and Muhammad Ali Investigation officer as respondents, petitioner pleaded the court to direct them to take the legal/ department action against the investigation officer of the FIR/ this case so also provide the legal protection to the petitioner and his brother namely Shahid Ul Hakeem from the hands of the investigation officer.
He further pleaded the court to quash the FIR due to no name of the petitioner and his brother were mentioned in the FIR.
