KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday questioned the mechanism and powers of Pakistan Customs to lodge an FIR, make arrests and carry out investigation.
Justice Sallahuddin Panhwar, who headed a single bench, directed the customs authorities to produce the relevant notifications that grant them powers to register a case and make arrests. The court required the officials of Pakistan Customs’ Intelligence and Investigation to spell out the mechanism under which they carry out investigations and submit charge-sheet before the trial court concerned.
Justice Sallahuddin observed it seems that there was no mechanism under which the customs officers carry out investigation, nor they were given any training for investigating cases.
The court was hearing the bail petition filed by Muhammad Hussain, the driver of a vehicle, who moved the high court after the customs court rejected his bail plea in a case pertaining to the pilferage of ISAF reverse cargo.
According to the details of the case, M/s Ports Connection (Pvt) Ltd, bonded carrier and M/s Saryal Cargo Channel and Customs Clearing Agency were found to be involved in the illegal pilferage of various consignments of ISAF meant for re-exportation from Mazar Sharif, Afghanistan to ISAF Germany.
According to the export documents, the eight containers were declared to contain batteries filled with acid and lamps. During examination at Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, instead of declared goods, the containers were found to contain a huge quantity of wooden pallets, sand bags, concrete blocks and 1 box used tube lights. Whereas remaining nine containers were found as per declarations in the relevant GDs.
