Customs officials can't check ISAF’ containers on ports

ISLAMABAD (Ishfaq Ahmed): The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Chairman Shohail Ahmed has disclosed, the NATO and the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) containers were not check in Pakistani Ports by Customs officials.

Addressing a press conference with the Member Customs Munir Ahmed here on Wednesday, the chairman said, usually, the Customs officials of Karachi and Qasim ports did not check the ISAF and NATO’ containers, which are comes from abroad for Afghanistan due to international law. He said that only the National Logistic Cell (NLC) scans the containers on suspects only on Port Qasim.

He said the FBR has initiated investigation on the scandal of disappearing ISAF’ containers in Pakistan come out when an ISAF’ container was offloading in Peshawar adding the Customs’ officials reached on spot, then, it was disclosed that the container was the Lonar Products, an Afghan company. He said that the company declared the soft drinks in the containers but there were products, which was banned in Pakistan. He said, when the officials contacted to the ISAF in Afghanistan, and they denied any link with the company.

The chairman said, according to the initial investigation, around about 40 containers are missing, which was registered in Ports for going to Afghanistan but it did not exit from Pakistan. He said that the investigation was initiated,

He said that a FIR lodged and initially three officials and four persons of the company arrested and being conduct investigation.

The Chairman said that he constituted a Fact Finding Committee for parallel investigation.

On the occasion, the Member Customs rejected the reports that more than 10 thousands containers of the ISAF were missing and loss of RS.250 billion revenue and said; only 14 thousands containers were come Pakistan for ISAF for last 27 months adding that Pakistan did not receive any duty from the containers.

It was important, Pakistan government had granted logistic support to the ISAF and NATO forces in Afghanistan under a mutual understanding. The ISAF and NATO’ members countries send cargo Afghanistan for their forces through Pakistan.