KARACHI: In a dramatic twist to a high-profile petroleum smuggling case, Collector Enforcement Umar Shafique has approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan, challenging the Sindh High Court’s decision to quash a First Information Report (FIR) against a leading oil trading company and its employees.
The appeal has been submitted and is now awaiting approval from the apex court.
The case stems from FIR No. ASO-31/2026-INT, registered by Customs Enforcement on 18.05.2026, which alleged the procurement, storage, and transportation of smuggled High-Speed Diesel (HSD) under the cover of fraudulent government documentation.
The crackdown, led by Collector Shafique, had initially resulted in a major operation. Customs intercepted two oil tankers carrying 96,000 liters of smuggled HSD near Gate No. 1, Kemari, valued at Rs89.36 million. Investigations revealed a sophisticated scheme where multiple companies reused the same auction documents to move nearly 800,000 liters of fuel.
The FIR named several entities and individuals, including employees of M/S. Al-Rahim Trading Co. (PVT.) Limited and M/S. Al-Noor Petroleum (PVT.) Limited. It was alleged that over 2.3 million liters of stored fuel were found in sealed tanks, and that the companies had colluded to smuggle fuel under the guise of legitimate paperwork.
However, on 26.06.2026, a division bench of the Sindh High Court comprising Justice Muhammad Saleem Jessar and Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro allowed a constitutional petition filed by M/S. Al-Rahim Trading Company, quashing the FIR. The court declared all actions, including the confiscation of oil tankers and the HSD, as illegal and directed customs authorities to release the seized goods within 10 days. The petitioner company had previously secured a suspension of the FIR and bail before arrest for its directors.
In response, Collector Enforcement Umar Shafique, who is known for his aggressive anti-smuggling stance and was recently posted to the Collectorate of Customs Enforcement in Karachi, has now taken the legal battle to the Supreme Court. Sources indicate that his appeal argues that the SHC’s decision to quash the FIR is a severe setback to the investigation and undermines efforts to curb fuel smuggling in the country.