ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) have not held consultations on granting permission to the latter to check inbound containers at sea and dry ports.
The Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control had directed the ANF director general and FBR member customs to hold consultations in this regard. The meeting between the said officials could not be held due to untold reasons.
In a meeting of the Senate’s committee on September 12, ANF officials had raised the issue that a major portion of seized drugs and narcotics were smuggled in the country through sea and dry ports.
Therefore, the FBR should be directed to grant permission to the ANF for checking the inbound containers to block narcotics smuggling. At this, the committee had directed both the departments to hold negotiations and report to the committee within 10 days.
In pursuance of the committee’s directions, the ANF DG and ANF Force Commander Rawalpindi held a verbal discussion with FBR Chief Customs Tariff Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah Kazmi and both sides agreed to facilitate each other.
FBR Member Customs Nisar Muhammad told Customs Today that no meeting or consultation had been held so far in this regard.
