KARACHI: A larger bench of Supreme Court (SC) headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard Karachi Law & Order and Implementation Case at Supreme Court Karachi Registry on Thursday.
The other judges in the larger bench were Justice Jawwad Sharif Khawaja, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Afzal Ejaz.
During the hearing, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Tariq Bajwa apprised the apex court that the import of the country has been declined by 29per cent as compared to previous year.
Tariq Bajwa told the court that FBR collected Rs2.75billion customs duty in first quarter of the fiscal year 2013-14, adding that Pakistan Customs is striving hard to achieve 100pc tax collection at QICT, PICT and KICT.
Replying to another query asked by the Chief Justice, FBR chief said that Pakistan Customs needed support and proper assistance of provincial government in order to seize smuggled arms and ammunition in Karachi.
What steps have been taken in order to eliminate corruption from Pakistan Customs, Chief Justice asked.
Tariq Bajwa replied that FBR has transferred several officials from Karachi during three months of time and also suspended officials in November, who were involved in mal-practicing and conducted inquiries against them, adding that effective steps have been taken in order to improve Valuation Rulings (VR) System.
Bajwa further apprised the apex court that FBR has decided to introduce screening system with a view to keep strict vigilance of under-voicing and movement of arms & ammunition.
The Chief Justice directed the FBR chief to expel the corrupt officials from Pakistan Customs and induct talented youth in the Department.
“We do not need assistance of IMF and other international donors, if tax evasion and under-invoicing gets eliminated from all national institutions”, CJ added.
The Chief Justice further said that corruption has tarnished the image of the country and harming the national economy as well.
Who stops you to conduct operations against criminal elements, the Chief Justice inquired.
The FBR chief replied that with mutual coordination, the law enforcing agencies have completed their homework against drugs and arms smugglers and the areas keeping the depots of arms and ammunition have also been marked.
He further told the apex court that the people belonging to various ethnicities are residing in Sohrab Goth, Yousuf Goth and Ayub Goth and conducting operation in these areas without the assistance of the provincial government is a difficult task.
Chief Justice Ifthiqar Muhammad Chaudhry said that Karachi is a business hub of the country and if illegal and criminal activities are controlled in city, then all other things would come into control automatically.
The Chief Justice also directed the high officials of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to arrest the hardcore criminals and smugglers, not the drug addicts.
