KARACHI: Dubai’s DP World Sultan Sulayem, CEO Junaid Zamir, GM Cyrus Khursigara and alleged benaami owner Habibullah Khan are extorting Eidi from Pakistan as Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) is deliberately delaying release of containers to charge extra demurrage charges from importers. Drivers have staged a strike at midnight on 19 May due to these delaying tactics of the DP World / QICT.
Drivers are of the views that these companies are delaying release of container to mint extra money and they have increased the time period up to 4 times. Drivers further said that these companies want to delay this period up to Eid to get extra charges during those holidays. Because if they are successful in their scheme, then importers cannot get their consignments cleared before Eid and due to Eid holidays, they had to pay extra charges. DP World officials are looting importers with both hands in these difficult times of Covid-19 and Govt is completely helpless to implement its orders at private terminals. They have especially prepared and worked on this plan to bleed the nation during Eid holidays.
Transporters at DP World Karachi terminal have launched their strike and blocked the terminal gate. Insiders told Customs Today that main purpose behind their strike was delayed clearance of cargo and charging of extra demurrage. They said they had to wait for even 12 hours to get their containers for supply. They allege DP World mafia is overcharging and using delay tactics to earn more demurrage. It’s a nasty practice. They said it’s a big scam as DP World Karachi has made it a routine to delay containers release and charge extra demurrages. Transporters held their strike against the management’s failure to facilitate and mange flow of deliveries of imports and receiving exports.
DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO Junaid Zamir, GM Cyrus Khursigara are openly challenging writ of Pakistani state and bleeding the importers. DP World / QICT are allegedly involved in multi-billion dollars demurrage scam case where they blackmailed and harassed genuine importers to pay illegal charges for clearance of their consignments. They are not implementing the orders of the Govt departments and ministries to waive demurrage and detention charges. They have established a state within the state.
DP World / QICT persistently and consistently misused Customs laws in their favour for looting genuine importers and these companies even ignored orders of the Sindh High Court in demurrage and detention case. These companies are not implementing orders and directives of Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Federal Board of Revenue and Customs Department regarding demurrage and demurrage charges and giving free port time during Corona pandemic. Customs Department has complete powers over private terminals but in this situation the department seems completely helpless before these power companies of DP World / QICT.
Still after clear order by the SHC, DP World / QICT is reportedly used to adopt similar tactics to make billions of rupees by blackmailing and taking additional illegal demurrage charges. These companies are not willing to play any role for the society and the country at large in these difficult times of Covid-19 disaster. They are only playing their games to multiply their profits in the crisis time.
It is pertinent to mention here that terminal operators cannot demand additional demurrage and detention charges under SRO 1220(I)/2015 and Section 14A of the Customs Act, 1969. QICT must comply to their obligation under the law in these difficult times to give 100% waiver for the charges including demurrage because importers are facing unbearable losses due to CoronaVirus lockdowns. DP World / QICT violated SRO 1220 and section 14A of Customs Acts 1969 by taking extra demurrage charges other than collecting applied duty and taxes. Law under SRO 1220(I)/ 2015 explains that shipping companies & terminal operator DP World / QICT cannot charge any demurrage and detention where specifically it is not agreed and also specifically not mentioned on the B/L (Bill of Lading) but this law is grossly being violated by these companies. As per Customs Act, 1969, the port cannot charge any demurrage or detention charges if Customs gives a certificate to importer titled ‘Delay and Detention Certificate’. Under rules 603 (Q), 603 (R), 604 (Q) and 607 (E), others of SRO 1220 (I)/2015, the shipping lines cannot charge any demurrage or detention charges where it is not specifically written on the B/L. But despite this certificate, importers goods are held illegally at the terminal and they are charged with heavy demurrage.
Sources said that DP World / QICT is allegedly involved in multi-billion dollars demurrage scam case where they blackmailed and harassed genuine importers to pay illegal charges for clearance of their consignments. Now NAB has expedited such cases against DP World / QICT where importers have asked the NAB to intervene in the issue and arrest its Chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, CEO Junaid Zameer, GM Cyrus Khursigara and alleged benaami owner Habibullah Khan for recovering the looted amount and giving relief in demurrage and free time to traders.
It is pertinent to mention that the NAB received a complaint with subject: save Pakistan from nefarious designs of Indians to blacklist our nation in FATF using their front men and holding company in DP World / QICT Pakistan Limited while also necessary legal action, recoveries of amounts looted and arresting the accused to set an example, recovering losses of millions/billions of dollars of foreign exchange per year while also stopping such further losses in the biggest mega scam of foreign remittances, recovering losses of more than Rs 400 billion from officials of port terminals like DP World / Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT) in terms of looting the nation under the garb of demurrage and detention, non-payment of hundreds of billions of sales tax to Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) and also looting foreign exchange of Pakistan to the tune of millions of dollars annually and Khalid Mehmood & others of Sindh Revenue Board (SRB), Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Yuvraj Narayan, Deepak Parekh, Robert Woods, Abdulla Ghobash, Mark Russell, Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Nadya Abdulla Kamali, Mohammed Al Muallem, Suhail Al Banna, Rizwan Soomar, Matthew Leech, Abdulla Bin Damithan, Devang Mankodi, Rashid Abdulla, Mohammad Al Hashimy, Habibullah Khan, Nusrat Khan, Aly Khan, Junaid Zamir, Changaz Hassan Niazi, Farhan Mithani, Masoud Noori, Mohammed Al Mannaei, Omar Al Muhairi, Cyrus R Khursigara, Shahid Iqbal, Uzair Qureshi, Fasih Haider, Faraz Aziz, Abdul Aleem Mirza, Saad Zulfiqar, others of QICT Pakistan Limited & DP World Group (holding 75% shares of QICT Pakistan Limited).
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