KARACHI: Director General Customs Intelligence & Investigation Shaukat Ali has stopped a sectoral study regarding import of serviceable auto parts in the guise of scrap from various customs ports across the country.
Director Customs Intelligence, Rawalpindi Nasrullah Wazir had initiated the study and sought help Collector MCC Islamabad as the study was expected to result in recovery of millions of rupees of revenue and safeguarding huge amount of government revenue in future.
In this regard an explanation and certain information was requested from the Collector MCC Islamabad, thereby initiating an enquiry on import of serviceable auto parts imported at Islamabad dry port.
Deputy Director HQ Khaldum-ul-Haq in a letter to Director I&I – FBR that the above referred proceedings were initiated without bringing the same to the knowledge of the Director General or any other officer of the HQ, which is in violation of the policy of the Directorate General.
Not only that the study into the fraudulent imports of auto parts was stopped on the instructions of Director General Shaukat Ali, the Director Nasraullah Wazir was also transferred from his office within weeks of him seeking information from MCC Islamabad.
Sources said affairs at the Directorate General were quite questionable and the office was actually patronizing the unscrupulous elements and smuggling. Sources said officials of the Directorate General had also submitted complaints before the FBR and even the court pointing out irregularities and corruption at the Directorate General.
An official said Directorate General Shaukat Ali was doing inter-provincial transfers of officials to weaken the anti-smuggling operations, which had resulted in huge loss of revenue to the national exchequer.
Dry ports across the country have always been used for scams/frauds and the study initiated by Director Nasrullah Wazir could have unearthed serious irregularities and even the involvement of the officers, which is why it was stopped and Nasrullah Wazir was transferred forthwith.