LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar took notice of a complaint filed against illegal clearances through green channel on 1st June, 2018 and ordered report/comments from concerned quarters within 10 days but Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs Department did not submit reply till 21st of June, committing gross contempt of the Honourable SC.
As per details, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar took notice of a complaint filed by senior journalist Asad Kharal in Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry on 1st June against Rs 1000 billion green channel illegal clearances where the CJP ordered the concerned quarters including FBR Member Customs Zahid Khokhar, DG Customs Intelligence Shaukat Ali and Chief Collector Abdul Rasheed Sheikh to submit reply within 10 days and Court issued letter of Human Rights Case No 21502-P of 2018 in regard on 5th June. As per court’s letter, FBR authorities should have submitted the report in the court till 15th of June.
Sources confirmed that no report is filed by FBR till 21st June which is gross contempt of the Honorable Supreme Court. Experts say FBR has committed contempt of court by not submitting report within the stipulated time. They are possibly manipulating reports by deliberately delaying the submission of reply.
Sources said FBR Chairman first prepared an ‘all is well’ report but Customs Today and Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) made public the report of DG Customs Intelligence Shaukat Ali who admitted ‘merciless abuse’ of green channel by syndicates in connivance with customs staff. Then FBR took time to manipulate the report again and then submit it to the SC.
Senior journalist Asad Kharal, through Customs Today, appeals to the CJP to take notice of contempt of court and manipulation of reports by FBR officials.
It is important to mention here that Customs Today has been reporting on abuse of green channel since past many years and DG Intelligence report regarding misuse of green channel facility has confirmed this fact. Customs Today also unearthed mega brands like Mobilink and QMobile which were reported to be grossly abusing Green Channel facility with connivance of Customs staff. Customs Today exposed mega smuggling scam of Digicom Company (Q-Mobile) as the company cleared more than 750 containers through green channel.
Then, Customs Today published several reports about betel nuts smuggling worth billions of rupees through ports at Port Qasim and Appraisement East Collectorate.
These reports led to multiple raids, tens of FIRs and recoveries of illegally cleared goods worth billions of rupees. In fact, in a single raid at a SITE area godown, 600,000 Kgs. of betel nuts worth Rs 1.5 billion were seized. Notwithstanding, these actions were only as token in nature and is a drop in the ocean whereas much more needs to be done. Customs Today also published investigative reports about changing of strategies by green channel smugglers as they started clearing illegal goods through yellow channel & TP.
At last Chief Justice Mian Saqib took notice of the issue on 1st June and this step could help eradicate corruption mafia from the country especially in Customs Department as green channel smuggling is inflicting heavy losses on the national exchequer.
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