FBR urged to appoint task force

KARACHI: Pakistan Ships Agents Association (PSAA) and former vice president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Tariq Haleem has urged Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Syed Muhammad Shabbar Zaidi to appoint a task force / JIT to address issues of under- / over-invoicing, mis-declaration and smuggling on war footings and all these culprits should be vigorously pursued, caught and prosecuted.

In a letter to the FBR chairman, he said this menace is causing massive losses to the national exchequer and also resulting in bad name for the country. None of these nefarious activities can be carried out without facilitators, he said.

He expressed confidence that some of these facilitator types have FIRs already registered against them and they should be fully investigated and dormant files should be revived.

Customs intelligence, FIA, all border authorities, ministry of interior, etc, should all form special JITs to finish this menace under the direct monitoring of the prime minister. These JITs should report to the prime minister on a biweekly basis, he said.

These types of facilitators are enemies of the country, he said, adding that the association has directed all its members to keep an eye on these facilitators and report them immediately to the authorities concerned if they find any clue about them.