I usually do not visit the Customs House in Karachi but was advised by my clearing agent that my presence was imperative to convince the Collector that my textile spare parts consignment was being assessed in a different H.S. Code due to an anomaly in the assessment procedure.
Taking advantage of the fact that the Collector knew me, I sent in my visiting card and was immediately ushered into his office. As soon as we settled down, two Shalwar-Qameez clad persons barged in and in a menacing voice literally ordered the Collector that they needed a few minutes with him.
I felt like walking out and letting these guys have their say. However, our departure could have been misconstrued and might have created problems for the Collector.
To his credit he honoured me by first listening to my case, of course not in his normal manner but in a formal bureaucratic style and gave the usual bureaucratic negative response. If I had not known him for nearly two decades, I would have been surprised at his attitude. Of course, someone not familiar with the Collector would have thought that he was being investigated for some rotten reason.
As is my style when lowly government persons use their so-called discretionary powers, I decided to state in a louder voice for the benefit of the intruders that I did not agree with the assessment and reserved the right to re-export the consignment to Dubai and that a 'courier' would bring it to my factory at a fraction of the amount of duties.
Let me make it clear that we do not indulge in these practices and I am on record in my writings and speeches against the "Khepia" culture. But I wanted to stress my objection and make my point clear to the Collector.
I would also like to add that the Collector is one of the finest, dedicated, and well-versed officers in CBR and very much respected for his knowledge, frankness, and devotion to duty.
The textile people also appreciated his remarks a few days ago at a meeting with the CBR Chairman where he himself highlighted this anomaly and agreed with the textile industrialists that this anomaly is anti-textiles and that it is compelling the industrialists to obtain imported spare parts thru non-documented channels.
Nevertheless, the argument I would like to make here is that the pre-lunch period is for the Collector to meet the people who have problems that need to be resolved.
Those who have been authorised to investigate or collect data could do it in the afternoon or after office hours. Besides this, I am of the opinion that NAB should change its style of investigating and not allow its officers to become terrible replicas of the Nazi era when Gestapo underlings made life miserable for many in Hitler's Germany, including senior officers of the Third Reich armed forces.
Everybody wants a corruption-free, transparent, and efficient governmental system. NAB officers should be aware of the fact that even Gestapo could not save Berlin.