KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has initiated a severe crackdown against the import of used trucks in the garb of prime movers, sprinkle lorries etc. Import of used trucks is banned in Pakistan as per the Import Policy Order.
Customs authorities have already imposed strict conditions and import of used trucks in the garb of sprinkle lorries, refrigerated lorries, dump trucks and prime movers.
The FBR has also initiated investigations into the affairs of construction companies who had been importing dump trucks in excess of their requirement.
MCC Appraisement East, MCC Appraisement West and MCC Port Qasim has already lodged FIRs against several importers who attempted to clear prime movers on fake and forged pre-shipment inspection (PSI) certificate.
MCC Hyderabad has hold clearance of around 150 concrete mixtures, which are suspected to be used trucks fitted with structure to give them color of concrete mixtures. The importer of these vehicles namely Haji Ihsanullah approached High Court and the Court ordered to release the vehicles within 10 days or approach the Supreme Court.
The Customs authorities approached Supreme Court against the order of high Court. The apex court had advised the Customs authorities to get the vehicles examined by technical experts and file the report.
Collector Hyderabad Mujtaba Memon, subsequently, requested Chief Collector Enforcement Zahid Hyderabad to arrange a technical appraiser and a technical principal appraiser. Later, on the request of Zahid Khokhar, Chief Collector Appraisement South Abdul Rasheed Shaikh has notified temporary posting of Appraiser Saeed Soomro and Principal Appraiser Bahadur Khan at MCC Hyderabad.
An official said the Customs had not availed stay against the High Court order therefore the importer filed ‘contempt plea’ against Collector Hyderabad Mujtaba Memon, Additional Collector Omar Shafiq and Principal Appraiser Riaz Sehto. The hearing in this regard would be held on October 6, 2015 at Sindh High Court.