KARACHI: The office of Chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reportedly finalized a list of BS-20 and BS-19 officers of Pakistan Customs Service (PCS), which are to be transferred from their present postings.
According to sources, as many as 8 BS20 officers being transferred include two in Karachi, one from Quetta, one from Peshawar, one in Multan, one in Lahore, and two others. Moreover, around 14 BS-19 PCS officers would also be shuffled. Most of these officers have not reached even half of their tenure of three years.
An official said Chairman FBR Dr. Ashfaq was no longer consulting with Member Customs Tariq Huda on transfers and postings and certain other matters. However, Chairman FBR is taking input with other senior Customs officers such as DG I&I Abdul Rasheed Shaikh and Chief Collector Central Chaudry Zulfiqar.
Sources said the officers rumored to be on transfer list have been quite successful in containing smuggling and controlling under-invoicing, but they were posted on these positions by Member Customs Tariq Huda.
Dr. Ashfaq has recently ordered audit/scrutiny of vehicles’ auction since in 2014-21 in MCC Quetta. There is impressions in Pakistan Customs Service that this audit/scrutiny in Quetta is aimed at indicting certain officers whom served as Collectors in Quetta during the above mentioned period.
People involved in the entire auctioneering process told Customnews.pk that the environment was quite different in Quetta. It was known that Customs was quite helpless in the tribal environment of Baluchistan. Customs receives just one bid, and that too from the owner of the vehicle. In such a scenario, the best option for Customs is to accept that offer instead of letting the vehicles rot. An official said Chairman FBR should come to Baluchistan and hold a vehicles’ auction himself.
Chairman FBR Dr. Ashfaq did a marvelous job in Qazi Faez Essa case inquiries. This case was assigned by Mirza Shahzad Akbar. And due to these services, he was appointed Chairman FBR out-of-term. Dr. Ashfaq is a BS-21 officers and No.18th in the seniority list of BS-21 officers of Inland Revenue Service (IRS). There is a strong words in FBR officers he didn’t take any initiatives and reforms. On the other hand, a campaign was launched against Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) officers, which adversely impacted the good work done in past couple of years. The confidence of the officers were shaken due to false complaints against officers, out-of-turn transfers.
It is believed that Dr. Ashfaq, a junior officers serving as Chairman FBR in OPS had been quite successful in Qazi Faez Essa case, but administration was not his forte.