ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has imposed a major penalty on Zulfiqar Ali, an Inspector of Preventive Service, for gross negligence and misreporting in a transit trade consignment.
The disciplinary action was taken after an inquiry revealed that the officer had inaccurately reported the quantity of banned goods in a consignment under Transit Trade.
The FBR initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr. Zulfiqar Ali under the Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 2020, following an incident where he misreported the quantity of goods in a Goods Declaration (GD) No. ITTK-AT-22606 dated February 20, 2024.
The accused officer, serving as an Examiner at the Directorate of Transit Trade in Karachi, had declared 50 cartons of banned exhaust fans in the consignment. However, upon re-examination, it was discovered that the actual quantity was 250 cartons.
An inquiry was conducted, and Ms. Zehra Tahir Naqvi (PCS/BS-19) was appointed as the Inquiry Officer to investigate the matter. The inquiry report, submitted on July 29, 2024, found the charges of “inefficiency” and “misconduct” against Zulfiqar Ali to be proven. The Inquiry Officer recommended the imposition of a major penalty, specifically the reduction to a lower post and pay scale for a period of one year under Rule-4(3)(b) of the Civil Servants (E&D) Rules, 2020.
In response, a show-cause notice was issued to the accused officer on August 6, 2024, which he denied, requesting a personal hearing. The hearing was conducted via video link on September 4, 2024, with the accused and the Departmental Representative (DR) presenting their cases. During the hearing, the DR highlighted the officer’s failure to accurately report the banned items and the severe implications of this negligence, which led to the confiscation of the goods.
In his defense, Zulfiqar Ali claimed that he based his report on the packing list provided by the importer, which indicated 50 cartons. He further argued that poor visibility and the importer’s container arrangement made a complete examination difficult. He also cited heavy workload and human error as contributing factors.
After reviewing the case, the Member (Admn/HR) of FBR, acting as the Authority, concluded that the officer had failed to provide a credible defense. As a result, the FBR imposed the penalty of reducing him to a lower post and pay scale for one year, alongside stopping his performance allowance for the same period.
The officer retains the right to appeal this decision within 30 days under the Civil Servants (Appeals) Rules, 1977
