KARACHI: Assistant Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Mian Asif is taking final statements of the Customs officials allegedly involved in clearance of pharma raw material, while investigating the case here in Karachi.
Sources informed Customs Today that Assistant Director FIA Mian Asif is staying in a local hotel in Karachi and has called Customs officials to record their final statements into the matter.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) recently has written a letter to the authorities concerned of Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and Federal Intelligence Agency (FIA) to stop harassing the Customs officials in a fabricated case established by FIA officials regarding the clearance of pharmaceutical raw material.
It may be mentioned here that the appraisers’ association of Pakistan Customs on Wednesday held a meeting in which the association expressed its deep concern over calling of Customs officials at a local hotel for recording their statements regarding the case.
The sources informed that the appraisers’ association was of the view that the FIA investigating officer has malafide intention that is why he has called the Customs officials in a hotel for recording their statements.
It is pertinent to mention here that the case was unearthed in the month of August-2014 in which the FIA authorities were of the view that the Customs officials were involved in clearance of pharmaceutical raw material without prior permission by the Federal Drug Department (FDD).
However, the authorities concerned of Pakistan Customs were of the view that in terms of Serial No.7, Part-II (Procedural Requirements) to Appendix-B read with paragraph 5(B)(i) of the Import Policy Order (IPO), 2013 in vogue, the import of pharmaceutical (allopathic) raw material of pharmaceutical grade in the form of unprocessed ingredients is allowed, inter-alia, to pharmaceutical industries holding valid pharmaceutical manufacturing license in accordance with the provisions of Drug (Import and Export) Rules, 1976.
It is pertinent to mention here that Customs Today has already published news about this issue in which it revealed that the FIA officials will visit Karachi for investigating the matter.
