Expressing serious concerns over the performance of the Customs Department regarding smuggled vehicles in Balochistan, the Supreme Court on Monday said law and order would obviously deteriorate when government departments were themselves involved in illegal activities.
These remarks were given by a two-member SC bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, which was hearing a case regarding the law and order in the province.
On Monday the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman and Custom authorities also appeared before the court.
The court was apprised by Custom authorities that Quetta collectorate had confiscated 200 smuggled vehicles since the last hearing. On this, the chief justice expressed his displeasure and said the Customs Department had worsened the law and order in the province. Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani told the court almost 100 vehicles were seized in Quetta.
Expressing dissatisfaction over the number of recovery of smuggled vehicles, the chief justice told the advocate general that he (the CJP) could show him (the AG) hundreds of illegal vehicles plying on the roads of the city.
DIG Investigation Hamid Shakeel advocate told the court that the vehicle used in a suicide attack on pilgrim’s bus in Hazarganji area was without a chassis number thus it could not be ascertained whether it was smuggled or stolen.
Customs officials said it was difficult to take action against smuggled vehicles in some areas of the province.
At this, the CJP told them to “leave other areas, first take action in the provincial capital”. Representing the Attorney General of Pakistan, Deputy Attorney General Shafi Mohammad Chandio assured the CHP that government departments were taking action against illegal vehicles.
why don't they give one time amnesty scheme and register thousands of smuggled vehicles playing in the country. the govt can get great amount of revenue and utilize this money to reduce electricity load shedding and But who care in this country people, they are losing billions of revenue just for two or three big(Local) companies (To Please them for some hidden reason)which does not make any difference if the customs authorities or chairman allow more than 10 years old smuggled vehicles to be registered. please think for people of Pakistan this is future of your children.
In a bid to regularise the smuggled vehicles being used in the country, the Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance on Friday decided to constitute an inter-ministerial committee for preparation of Smuggled Vehicles Amnesty Scheme and gave a deadline till July 31, 2012 for the finalisation of recommendations for the proposed amnesty scheme.
However, on the objections raised by the Ministry of Commerce, the committee dropped the recommendation for allowing 10-year old and used cars and vehicles to benefit general public who are facing hardships while purchasing locally assembled expensive cars and other vehicles.
The Senate’s Standing Committee on Finance met in the Parliament House with Senator Mrs Nasreen Jalil in the chair. The meeting continued for the fourth consecutive day discussion on in the budget 2012-13.
During the discussion, Senator Kulsoom Parven raised the issue of regularisation of smuggled vehicles and cars being used especially in the provinces of Balochistan and other bordering areas of the country. She sought concessional rates of taxes and duties for regularisation of smuggled vehicles and said that there would be huge revenue for the government for regularisation of such vehicles as well as other local annual taxes.
Senator Fateh Muhammad Hassni was of the view that the smuggled vehicles have been used in deterioration of law and order situation in the province. It was decided that the committee comprising Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industries, Board of Investment, Engineering Development Board and Ministry of Finance to look into the possibility of announcing the Smuggled Vehicles Amnesty Scheme and possible rate of taxes and duties for their regularisation in the country.
FBR response: During the meeting FBR Chairman Mumtaz Hyder Rizvi assured the committee that FBR would look into the proposal. However, the FBR chairman accepted before the media that these kinds of amnesty schemes are whitening schemes, that’s why FBR has opposed such kinds of amnesty schemes. The planning secretary also opposed such a scheme and informed the committee that during the last amnesty scheme negligible revenue was realised from it.
Ministry of Commerce response: The additional commerce secretary accepted that there are complaints that the prices of local cars are high, there are also complaints about their quality and own charging by the dealers for the quick delivery. However, he strongly opposed the proposal for allowing the 10-year-old and used cars and vehicles and informed the committee that this would hurt the local industry as millions of workers are employed by the local auto industry and the vendor industry would also suffer due to it. There would be increase in import of their spare parts that would lead to balance of payment difficulties for the country. He also informed the proposed Smuggled Vehicles Amnesty Scheme would also include regularisation of six to 10-year-old and used cars and vehicles that would also negatively impact the local industry.
The FBR chairman informed the committee that the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet has approved general sales tax (GST) exemption on iron ore excavated from mines of Balochistan as part of the incentive package approved for revival of Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation (PSMC). It was an anomaly that GST was exempted on import of iron ore and it was being charged on local production of iron ore from Balochistan and this is being corrected.
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