FRIDAY DECEMBER 21: Afghan transit: only certified US cargo will be allowed: FBR

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue will only allow the US cargo, including military vehicles for transit to Afghanistan via Torkham and Chaman, which is certified as free of hazardous waste material, and depleted uranium ammunition. The FBR has issued a Customs General Order (CGO) 16 of 2012 here Thursday to ensure transit of particular US cargo which is free of hazardous waste material.
According to the CGO, in case the cargo is intended for transit from Afghanistan, a US declaration of ownership shall be accepted in lieu of the original invoice. Moreover, US cargo to be allowed entry for transit under this CGO at Torkham and Chaman should comprise military vehicles and non-containerised equipment and be certified as free of hazardous waste material, including depleted uranium ammunition, as defined and classified in the Basel Convention on the control of Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, following National and International standards.
Sources told Business Recorder that the FBR has not allowed the US to bring "prohibited cargo" for transit to Afghanistan through land route of Pakistan. Under customs laws, "prohibited cargo" included lethal items, such as arms and ammunition, and hazardous and dangerous materials defined under the applicable laws, rules, and regulations of Pakistan, not permitted for transit to Afghanistan under the MOU, with the exception of military equipments intended for the capacity building of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
Sources said that the US Forces in Afghanistan cannot clear these lethal items from Pakistani customs department under the transit arrangement through land route of Pakistan. The FBR had notified and dispatched the list of prohibited US Cargo to relevant customs ports for not allowing clearance of specified weapons during their transit to Afghanistan. The customs department would not allow US Forces to obtain clearance of these weapons mentioned in the list.
According to the FBR's list of prohibited US cargo, different kinds of weapons are not permissible for transit to Afghanistan. The prohibited US cargo included weapons, ammunition, military or commercial explosives, anti-tank weapons, guided missiles, laser weapon system, tanks and armoured vehicles, all kinds of light weapons, all kinds of mines, arms/ammunition, nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devise, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, unmanned combat aerial vehicles and drones, chemical weapons, biological weapons, depleted uranium ammunition and special nuclear material.
Following is the text of the CGO issued here on Thursday: The Federal Board of Revenue is pleased to direct that following further amendments shall be made to its Customs General Order No 10 of 2012, dated 31st July, 2012, namely:
In the aforesaid order, in paragraph 6,-in clause (ii), sub-clause (c), after the word "invoice", the bracket, words and semicolon, "(in case of cargo intended for transit from Afghanistan, a US declaration of ownership shall be accepted in lieu of the original invoice);" shall be inserted; and after clause (ii) the following new clause shall be inserted, namely:
"(iia) US cargo to be allowed entry for transit under this CGO at Torkham and Chaman consisting of military vehicles and non-containerised equipment shall be certified as free of hazardous waste material, including depleted uranium ammunition, as defined and classified in the Basel Convention on the control of Trans-boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, in accordance with National and International standards.", CGO added. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued a list of 24 categories of prohibited lethal items including drones, nuclear bombs, chemical and biological weapons, combat aircraft/helicopters and all types of bombs/arms/ammunition.