PESHAWAR: The customs officials involved in corruption must be dealt with iron hands as the Supreme Court took action against corrupt practices in customs department.
Principal Appraiser of Appraisement East Dost Mohammad and his gang are fearing the investigations because it will expose the evil face of officers causing loss of billions to the exchequer.
The corruption in customs department was highlighted by Customs Today after which media highlighted the misuse of green channel facility which has caused serious loss to the national kitty. Advocate Jaffer Qazi expressed these views while talking with Customs Today at Peshawar.
The advocate added that upon direction of Supreme Court of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated investigation against the corrupt practices in customs department and FBR official has also admitted misuse of green channel, causing loss of billions to the customs exchequer.
According to revelations the FBR admitted that ten million containers have been released without scanning and examination which has cursed the customs department and caused defamation.
Advocate further said that now the NAB concluded that the corruption in customs department has been increased in last few years due to which a huge number of containers have been cleared illegally which also included contraband goods.
Advocate Jaffer Qazi added that now the corruption has been admitted by NAB investigations after which it has become mandatory for customs department to take action against the corrupt practices and arrest officials like corrupt Principal Appraiser Dost.
Earlier he said that a mega scam was unearthed by Customs Today at Customs Dry Port Peshawar in which the Deputy Collector Naveed Ather was held accountable but no action was taken against him due to which the three customs appraisers who were arrested in same case got released due to which the culprits were not dealt with iron hands which increased the risk of corruption at Peshawar Dry Port.
Advocate Qazi further said that when corruption found in the customs department is not handled with harsh reaction, the risk of corruption could not be eliminated.
He added that it is the high time to bring corruption to zero level because the higher institutions have taken notice of the corruption in the department.
The advocate Qazi when asked about the customs laws and the nature of tax rules regarding the declaration of consignments, he informed that customs laws have been very artistic when it comes to import and export clearance data. The Customs laws are very much hard and require high level fraud to misguide the customs department and deprive the national exchequer of genuine taxes.
The FBR chairman should take strict action against green channel fraudsters for posing loss of billions to the national exchequer.
