ISLAMABAD: Muhammad Zahid Khokhar, (Pakistan Customs Service/BS-21), has been transferred from Chief Collector, (Enforcement) Karachi and posted as Member Customs FBR (HQ) recently.
Zahid Khokhar performed his duties as Chief Collector (Enforcement) Karachi for almost 1 and a half year and took several bold steps to increase the revenue and arrest the menace of smuggling. As Customs Enforcement-South Chief Collector, Muhammad Zahid Khokhar directed all its collectorates, including Preventive, Quetta, Gwadar and Exports to work in close liaison with law enforcement agencies, which are striving to bust smuggling activities in the country. He always asked the officials of all field formations to conduct meetings with the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Pakistan Coast Guard (PCG), Maritime Security Agency (MSA) and other law enforcing agencies in order to evolve an effective strategy against smuggling activities conducted through sea and land routes.
Under his supervision, the collectors of Gwadar Customs and Hyderabad Customs took effective measures in order to curb smuggling of contraband items in their regions. They adopted strict policy and vigilance to impound hundreds of non-duty paid vehicles. Gwadar Collectorate also took solid steps to curtail smuggling of contraband items and Iranian petrol and diesel.
Due to these steps taken by the then Chief Collector Customs (Enforcement) South Muhammad Zahid Khokhar, imports into the country increased as Customs Department, in collaboration with Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), curtailed smuggling by 80 percent. Smuggling of Iranian oil was almost stopped. Rs 7 billion worth of smuggled goods were seized during the last year.
As Collector Appraisement Lahore, Zahid Khokhar played a superb role for betterment of the department. He took several measures to increase the revenue and eradicate the menace of smuggling.
