KARACHI: Chief Commissioner RTO-I Karachi has nominated a Deputy Commissioner as the focal person regarding evacuation of illegal occupants of the FBR’s land in Mauripur of 4,605 acres.
Earlier, Omar Shafique was entrusted with this responsibility, but the land could not be evacuated as the occupants were backed by highly influential quarters. Later, Omar Shafique was transferred and the land recovery campaign stopped.
Now, Chief Commissioner RTO has nominated the focal person to pursue the campaign to recover FBR’s land.
This has created a little confusion whether Customs or the Inland Revenue was the custodian of these lands. In April 2010, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had approved delegation of powers to Collector Preventive Karachi to exercise the powers of the Collector of Central Excise & Land Customs Collector HQ Sales Tax and Federal Excise Karachi for administering the land Customs estate Mauripur.
However, Inland Revenue is of the view that IRS is the custodian of all lands of central excise time and Customs was given the administration of these lands illegally in April 2010 and recommended that the FBR letter of April 2010 should be withdrawn.
According to an OM issued by Establishment Division, IRS is the legal custodian from the side of Federal Government of Pakistan as of this historical land measuring to 4605.38 acres, which was inherited it from British India and latter on it was also given legal cover by Quaid-e-Azam himself as Governor General in 1948 and by President Ayub Khan in 1961.
IRS is administrating Federal Excise Duty (FED) as per mandate of legislature.
IRS is a fully mature service and can fully protect its assets. During litigation cases pertaining to Maunpur Estate Lands, the courts issue notices to RTO Karachi which is an IRS formation. Not only this but also record is in the possession of RTO Karachi who pays salaries to staff posted at Mauripur Estate Lands.