KARACHI: A customs officer has been penalized for negligence after failing to detect a large-scale concealment of goods during a container inspection, the Federal Board of Revenue announced Monday.
Mubashir Ali, a Preventive Officer at the Collectorate of Customs Appraisement (West) in Karachi, received a minor penalty of withholding two increments for two years without cumulative effect. The penalty, effective immediately, was handed down by the FBR’s Member (Admn/HR), who acted as the disciplinary authority.
According to an official notification, Ali was suspended Dec. 17, 2025, after a customs examination revealed that a container he had inspected contained 24,000 pieces of Universal Joints, along with refurbished laptops and auto parts that were not declared in the Goods Declaration. The concealment was uncovered during a re-examination.
Ali had been charged with inefficiency, misconduct, and corruption under the Civil Servants (Efficiency & Discipline) Rules, 2020.
The inquiry officer found the misconduct and corruption charges unsubstantiated but deemed the inefficiency charge proven, recommending a minor penalty of censure. The authority, however, deemed that penalty insufficient.
“The contents of accused about the backlog of other containers required to be examined on the same day or inability to unearth a pre-planned concealment, are not acceptable, as it does not justify to examine any container in haste without due care and scrutiny,” the notification read.
Ali appeared for a personal hearing via video link on Aug. 4, 2026, and argued that the concealment was pre-planned and could not be detected due to a heavy backlog.
The authority reinstated Ali to government service effective immediately, with his suspension period from Dec. 17, 2025, to be treated as leave under the Revised Leave Rules, 1980. The FBR also ordered the stoppage of his performance allowance for six months.
Ali has 30 days to appeal the decision under the Civil Servants (Appeals) Rules, 1977.