Transfers of Customs officials demanded

Ashrafuddin Pirzada

LANDIKOTAL: All customs clearance agents have started protest against the immoral and unsocial behavior of the Torkham Assistant collector and deputy superintendent.

Flanked by dozens of clearance agent, All Customs Clearance Agents Association (ACCA) chairman, Zarqeeb Khan told a press conference here on Sunday that Assistant Collector, Obaid Khan and Deputy Superintendent, Pir Zahiruddin, have crossed the moral line while they were performing their duties. He alleged the latters for their misbehave and corruption. Zarqeeb Khan said that both the officials were treating their workers as slaves and sometime they were using immoral language with them. He said that a day before one of the agents’ worker was trashed by the officials and the documents in his hands had been torn by them.  

Vice chairman of the ACCA said the alleged officials intentionally not allow the transit goods and private goods’ trucks until they were not be paid bribe. He said that at least five thousands trucks loaded with different goods daily cross the Torkham border and same trucks enter Pakistan on the same route but customs officials   using the delaying tactics.

They speakers asked the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) officials and high ups of Pakistan customs to issue immediate transfer orders of the Assistant Collector and Deputy Superintendent Torkham. They threatened that if the officials were not replaced in a week they will launch countrywide strike and would boycott from the customs clearing process.