KARACHI: Member Admin – FBR has accepted the appeal of Asad Aleem Principal Appraiser (BS-17) and set aside the minor penalty imposed on him by the authorized officer.

The Board had imposed the minor penalty on Asad Aleem of withholding of two annual increments with cumulative effect.

Asad Aleem appealed before Member Admin-FBR, who after going through the case record exonerated Asad Aleem.

Asad Aleem and four appraising officers were charged in the case where consignments of wheat were cleared through manipulation in the IGM to avoid regulatory duty.

However, the officials of WeBOC system, shipping agent, terminal operator were not investigated. An FIR was lodged through but no investigation was conducted and MCC Port Qasim officials were suspended.

It may be mentioned here that over the period of time FBR imposed minor as well major penalties of several officers and officials, even some officials went to jail. But, after due study of case record, it transpired that many of the penalized officials/officers were not guilty of the offense they were punished for and they along with their families suffered for nothing.

An official said that most of the officers/officials penalized were actually escape goats and they were penalized to protect actual offenders. Official also said that after lapse of some time these officers/officials were exonerated.

Earlier, Javed Ahsan Principal Appraiser (BS-17) was also exonerated. He was imposed minor penalty of withholding of promotion till 18-09-2017.