KARACHI: Mian Abdul Rasheed was affiliated with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). In 2009, Pakistan Customs lodged an FIR in November 2009 against Mian Abdul Rasheed (M/s Kamran Lubricants Pvt, Ltd.) for importing Diesel Oil mis-declaring the same to be residue of petroleum to evade legitimate government revenue.
Mian Amin Fahim had granted Mian Abdul Rasheed a quota of 400,000 tons to import used lubricants. Import of used lubricants was restricted to be imported, so later the quota was withdrawn.
He remained an absconder for seven years. Sources said Mian Abdul Rasheed imported hundreds of consignments of diesel oil in the garb of residue of petroleum.
Later in 2013, despite being an absconder of law Mian joined Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and contested general elections on PML-N ticket for NA-191, Haroonabad, and lost. In 2018, Mian Abdul Rasheed switched loyalties, again, and contested general elections on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) from NA-191 and lost against Ijaz-ul-Haq.
In 2018, Ijaz-ul-Haq submitted an application before Election Commissioner that Mian Abdul Rasheed was an absconder in a case lodged against him by Pakistan Customs. Therefore, he obtained a bail from the court in the case of fraud and revenue evasion.
According to the FIR, Mian Abdul Rasheed had attempted to evade Rs6.2 million as well as to import a product, which was prohibited to be imported.
Mian didn’t even get the bail and he never joined the investigations disregarding the writ of law. Because of his political influence and connections, Customs could not be able to arrest him. However, when the case proceedings were reinitiated, Mian Abdul Rasheed claimed that he had no connection with the consignment of Diesel Oil as his company M/s Kamran Lubricants had not filed the Goods Declaration. The shipping line and the supplier abroad had confirmed that the consignment was of M/s Kamran Lubricants, of which Mian Abdul Rasheed was the director.
The consignment had been shipped by M/s Ahmed Abdullah Trading Company Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. M/s Ahmed Abdullah Trading Company had sent many consignments to M/s Kamran Lubricants in the past and the relationship between the two was well established. Therefore, M/s Ahmed Abdullah Trading Company’s submission that the consignee of the diesel oil was M/s Kamran Lubricants is undeniable.