KARACHI: Renowned lawyer Ismat Mehdi has said that the Customs Intelligence and Investigations field staff often crosses its limits and indulges in violation of SRO 486.
Talking to Customs Today, she said the Customs Intelligence does not have any authority except mentioned in SRO 486. She said some corrupt Customs Intelligence officers are harassing the importers, which is totally illegal.
She said that sometime they register FIR and demand bribe for clearance of consignments. She said that all this happens because the higher authorities do not listen to the demands of genuine importers.
Asmat Mehdi said that the powers of FIA are mentioned in their schedule and powers of Customs Preventive and Appraisement are mentioned in their SRO as well. “Goods which are importable you can import, you import consignment and pay duty, suppose that duty is paid less than the actual amount and order is passed, then there is a right to appeal and they can file an appeal but they should not exceed the official powers,” she said.
Answering a question, she said, “The court ordered several times that customs intelligence should not exceed its powers, but they don’t care about it and keep misusing their powers.” She said that FBR chairman Tariq Pasha should take action against the corrupt officials.
It is necessary to mention here that importers of Karachi. Multan, Lahore Faisalabad and Islamabad have sought FBR chairman’s action against gross misconduct and misuse of authority by some of field staff of the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation across the country. Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore Multan and other cities chambers have demanded the FBR Chairman to take stern action against a few scandalous staff members of the Customs Intelligence who are involved in malpractices and creating hurdles for genuine importers in the garb of routine checking at check posts.
About this situation, Noor Khan Niaz, President of the Karachi Goods Carrier Association, has said that a few black sheep in Customs Intelligence, who are allegedly involved in malpractices, are defaming the Pakistan Customs.
