KARACHI: Directorate General of Customs Intelligence and Investigation has recommended blacklisting of Advocate Zain A. Jatoi for all Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) formations.
Although Advocate Zain A. Jatoi is not on the FBR’s Panel of Advocates, the Directorate used to engage him as a departmental counsel in different eases on need basis. However, it has now been observed that he is simultaneously appearing before the Sindh High Court as counsel for the petitioners against the Directorate in different cases.
While appearing against the Directorate, he argues against lawful jurisdiction of the Directorate in different matters and later, he changes the rostrum and starts pleading as a departmental counsel in another case in favour of Directorate’s lawful authority in similar matters.
Normally in most of the detected cases, similar law points are involved which are thoroughly discussed with him by the Directorate’s representatives to defend the departmental cases which Jatoi also pleads against the Directorate as an opponent counsel in other cases.
Quite recently, he has also served contempt notice upon the Directorate while acting as a counsel for the petitioners in the KEPZ mega scam detected by Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of this Directorate.
Obviously, this state of affairs has created a very awkward situation for this Directorate and conflict of interest is also evident. Besides, Jatoi has also reportedly been found involved in attempt to assault besides abusing and threatening Superintendent-SIU Dost Muhammad inside the Sindh High Court Building.
All these facts are sufficient to prove that working and activities of Zain A. Jatoi are detrimental to the interest of the Directorate and the state because of evident conflict of interest.