ISLAMABAD: Assistant Collector Headquarters MCC Peshawar Saiqa Abbas has changed the history by accepting her posting on Torkham Border. Saiqa was the first woman customs officer who was transferred to the international border in the history of the MCC Peshawar.
She belongs to South Waziristan. She completed her studies from Islamic University Islamabad. She joined the Pakistan Customs Service in December 2015 as Assistant Collector, Air Freight Unit (AFU) and Cargo at the Bacha Khan International Airport Peshawar. Later, she was posted at Jamrood as Assistant Collector Export.
Talking to Customs Today during an exclusive interview, she said that in 2016 she was posted on Torkham Border and after serving seven months there she joined the MCC Peshawar as an Assistant Collector Headquarters adding she got training for capacity building from the Directorate of Training Islamabad.
During her stay at Customs Station Torkham as an Assistant Collector, she said the Torkham station seized gold valued Rs77.0174million in quantity of 17.136 kilogram whereas during my stay at Torkham the ASO staff confiscated international currency amounting to Rs72.278million whereas the ASO Torkham seized 144.05 kilogram hashish valued Rs14.055million.
During her stay at Torkham, the ASO seized 70.7 kilogram of opium worth Rs9.850million whereas the ASO Torkham impounded 19 kilogram of heroin valued Rs7.283million. During her time, the ASO Torkham seized total of 233.75 kilogram of drugs worth Rs57.705million.
Answering a query, Assistant Collector Saiqa Abbasi stated that the performance of MCC Peshawar is excellent during Financial Year 2016-17 as compared to corresponding Financial Year 2015-16.
During current financial year, the collectorate confiscated 323 offending vehicles valued Rs458.70million whereas the ASO Peshawar impounded offending vehicles during the corresponding year 2015-16 numbered 161 valued Rs204.60million. During the current financial year, the MCC confiscated 188 Non-Duty Paid vehicles worth Rs278.25million whereas the collectorate seized 119 NDP vehicles worth Rs.214.15 million during corresponding financial year.
Answering another query, the Assistant Collector MCC Peshawar headquarters stated that the collectorate has submitted PC-1 to the Federal Board of Revenue for various development projects of the MCC Peshawar. The cost of the projects is Rs198.77million which will be spent on the residential flats for grade 16th and above officers on the premises of the MCC Peshawar whereas collectorate needs to construct a parade ground, auction hall and a mosque.
She said the collectorate urgently needs repair and construction work at different customs stations under the jurisdiction of the MCC Peshawar. The MCC Peshawar requires repair and construction work at Salt House Kohat and construction of staff colony for customs staff on international Pak-Afghan border of Torkham.
She added that the collectorate has also requested the FBR for construction of customs office Mardan whereas it needs to construct Noshera customs office. Saiqa Abassi told Customs Today that the MCC Peshawar also requested the Board for construction of Burki customs station office while it needs construction work of tunnel checkpost Kohat and construction of Ramak and Bannu customs stations.
