KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue has announced a major reshuffle of senior Pakistan Customs Service officers, transferring eight officials in grades BS-19 to BS-21 effective immediately.
The notification, issued Aug. 13, assigns Muhammad Junaid Jalil Khan, a BS-21 officer serving as Director General of the Directorate General of National Nuclear Detection Architecture, the additional charge of Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement (North) in Peshawar.
Muhammad Jamil Nasir Khan has been transferred from Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement (North), Peshawar, to Chief Collector of Customs Enforcement, Islamabad. The move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the Faceless Customs Assessment system launched in 2025 to curb corruption at Pakistan’s ports.
An internal Pakistan Customs Audit report covering December 2024 to March 2025 found the faceless system incurred an estimated revenue loss of Rs100 billion in its first three months of operation. The audit examined 13,140 goods declarations, identifying discrepancies in 2,530 cases. It found Rs5 billion in duty and tax evasion across 1,524 GDs, statutory fines worth Rs2.43 billion left uncollected, and clearance of restricted goods valued at Rs10.54 billion in 1,006 GDs.
The report warned that green channel clearances, now covering nearly 60% of imports, have reduced the effectiveness of pre-clearance controls. Discrepancies included misclassification of HS codes, undervaluation of goods, misuse of exemptions, and short payment of sales tax. In some cases, importers of solar panels brought containers for clearance more than a year after import, suggesting advance knowledge of the faceless system’s launch.
Sources familiar with the matter said Nasir Khan discouraged examination of imported consignments and rejected contravention reports against companies including Mughal Steel, where mis-declaration exceeding Rs1 billion was alleged. In another case, a consignment destined for Peshawar valued at over Rs1 billion was intercepted in Karachi, but was re-examined and given a green chit on Nasir Khan’s instructions, sources said.
Collector PCA Sheeraz Ahmed conducted an audit of FCA clearances and prepared a report exposing fraud, but was suspended, according to sources. Members Customs Ashad Jawwad also prepared a report highlighting problems with the system and was transferred.
Importers from Lahore and Gujranwala, including Shareef Enterprise, AA International, and Mughal Iron & Steel, have been implicated in mis-declaration schemes, according to sources. In July 2026, a joint examination by Enforcement and Appraisement West at the Al-Hamd Container Terminal uncovered a mis-declaration case involving AA International, with seven containers of air conditioners revealing duty evasion exceeding Rs70 million.
Sources said officers were pressured from FBR Islamabad to facilitate importers, with senior officials passing verbal orders to appraisement officers that were “often less than legal”.
To kill this question on FCA and conduct of senior officers and to actually eliminate mis-declaration Chairman FBR Rashid Langrial, Member Customs Shakeel Shah or Chief Collector Wajid Ali should issue just one public notice that green channel consignments referred to yellow and red will be examined 100% and contravention will not be rejected.
Other transfers in the notification include Moin-Ud-Din Ahmad Wani moving from Collector of Customs Appraisement (East), Karachi, to Collector of Customs Enforcement, Islamabad. Agha Saeed Ahmed was transferred from Enforcement, Lahore, to Enforcement, Gadani. Rizwan Salabat was posted as Chief (M/HR-Customs) at FBR Headquarters, Islamabad.
Among BS-19 officers, Jamshed Ali Talpur was posted as Collector (OPS), Collectorate of Customs Enforcement, Lahore . Irum Sohail was appointed Collector (OPS), Collectorate of Customs Appraisement (East), Lahore, and Afzaal Ahmad was posted as Collector (OPS), Collectorate of Customs Appraisement (East), Karachi.
The FBR clarified that officers drawing performance allowance prior to the notification will continue to receive it at their new postings. Officers have been directed to submit charge relinquishment and assumption reports to the FBR immediately.
The reshuffle comes as the military leadership has pushed for anti-smuggling campaigns. Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir has publicly committed to eliminating illegal business activities, and the government has expanded faceless systems to other departments, including police, where automatic challan systems using cameras have been introduced to curb traffic police corruption.
Nasir’s posting as Chief Collector of Enforcement has raised questions given his oversight of the FCA during the period of reported revenue losses. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the transfer reflects internal friction within the FBR regarding the handling of major importers and the management of the appraisement system.
Sources said the FBR will now focus on under-invoicing, though experienced customs officers noted that proving mis-declaration after a consignment is cleared is extremely difficult.