CBR decides to get rid of ‘dangerous’ consignments

Staff Report

SIALKOT: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has decided to immediately dispose all confiscated consignments of firecrackers lying at various dry ports to avoid future mishaps, sources told Daily Times. Presently there are 7 to 8 containers of Chinese firecrackers at the Sambrial Dry Port. Customs at various dry ports have confiscated some consignments of banned firecrackers.

Tax authorities will issue instructions to all the collectorates of customs to get rid of these confiscated firecracker consignments through an auction.

The sources admitted that the CBR had not framed rules for regional custom authorities to deal with impounded containers of firecrackers or any other banned items.

Senior officials deny involvement in Sambrial blast: Additional Collector of Customs Sialkot Dry Port Trust (SDPT) Khawar Fareed Manika, Chairman SDPT Muhammad Ashraf Hilbro and former chairman Muhammad Siddique Lone told Daily Times that police was wrongly implicating their staff in the Sambrial explosion.

Mr Manika said cartons were being unloaded when the incident occurred and added if Custom Inspector Najmal Hassan Sheikh and dry port labourers who were killed knew what was in the containers, they would not have lit their cigarettes.

He said the containers blew up before officials could check what they contained and the police was trying to hold the customs and dry port officials responsible for it. He said police has registered a case against officials on the report of Nazim Union Council Sambrial Muhammad Afzal Shaheen. He claimed that Mr Shaheen was involved in smuggling of cars and his license had been cancelled by the Customs Department. Mr Manika demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

Mr Hilbro and Mr Lone also ruled out the involvement or negligence of dry port officials. They expressed their dissatisfaction over the police investigations and demanded a judicial inquiry.

Dry Port General Manager Sheikh Muhammad Saleem said the management had started contacting international agencies for improving the security system at SDPT.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Daska Navid Akhtar Baloch said police had taken the records of the Customs Department into custody besides arresting clearing agents Sheikh Haseeb and Muhammad Khalil.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Gujranwala Division Malik Muhammad Iqbal Awan denied the police was harassing anybody. He said in order to trace the culprits police has initiated investigations from various angles. The DIG said police has asked for help from the Central Board of Revenue’s (CBR) to find clues to the culprits. He claimed that he himself saw the words “highly inflammable” written on a burnt container during inspections.

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