KARACHI: Supreme Court has summoned the Commission head, Ramzan Bhatti, on Thursday (today) after the reservations and concerns expressed by FBR lawyer over the Commission report on missing containers.
An Apex Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justices Jawwad S. Khawaja, Mian Saqib Nisar, Amir Hani Muslim and Ejaz Afzal Khan, Wednesday resumed hearing of Karachi law & order suo moto case in Supreme Court Karachi Registry.
The lawyer of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) presented his reservations on Sections 5, 31, 32 and 33 of the Commission Report submitted by Ramzan Bhatti, former Member Customs, in missing containers case.
On the reservations and concerns expressed by FBR lawyer, the apex court summoned the Commission head Ramzan Bhatti in Supreme Court on Thursday (today).
The Chief Collectors Customs (South Region) were also appeared before the court. They apprised the court that transporters and restaurant owners were involved in the smuggling of arms and ammunition.
Justice Chaudhry observed that the black money generated through duty evasion and smuggling of weapons and drugs was used in criminal activities not only in Karachi but also across the country.
The judges asked the customs officials whether black money generated by evading taxes and levies was being controlled at Karachi Port and Port Qasim.
According to the Customs Intelligence report, smuggled weapons were being dumped at Sohrab Goth from where arms and contrabands goods were brought to all parts of the city through intercity buses. However, Chief Collector Customs Muhammad Yahya expressed his helplessness that Customs alone was unable to clean the area and if it conducts an operation to purge the area of smuggled illegal arms and contrabands, residents put up stiff resistance.
The Supreme Court directed the Customs officials to present a detailed report on tax evasion and measures taken against such illegal activities in the next hearing on Thursday.
The judges also directed FBR chief and the director general of the Pakistan Coast Guards to place on record documents to show the process of smuggling.
The apex court also asked the Customs high officials to present a detailed report on flight of foreign currency through illegal means. FBR Chairman Tariq Bajwa and DG I&I Riaz Khan will also appear in the court today.
