The Sindh government has rejected the claim of the Pakistan Customs over the ownership of at least 82 vehicles lying with the Central Vehicle Pool, commonly known as Nazarat, saying that it is the property of the provincial government, it is reliably learnt.
Sources told Business Recorder on Monday that the auction of at least 183 unclaimed vehicles at Nazarat was postponed as the customs authorities had claimed the ownership of some 82 non-duty paid vehicles. It may be mentioned here that Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had directed the chief secretaries of all the four provinces to withdraw these vehicles within two weeks.
After the public advertisement regarding the auction of unclaimed vehicles by the Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), the customs authorities forwarded a list of 82 vehicles 'based on conjectures and surmises and without any proof' to the home secretary for handing over the vehicles to the Director General Intelligence and Investigation, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on the ground that the vehicles were not duty paid/smuggled/tampered, they said.
As a result of the scrutiny of the advertisement and verification from the Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd (PRAL) at the Customs House in Karachi, it had been gathered that at least 82 vehicles were non-duty paid. The vehicles were brought into the country in violation of the Customs Act, 1969, they said while quoting the letter.
The home department examined the list of 82 vehicles provided by the Customs authorities and the vehicles at Nazarat were captured by different police stations for breach of Cr.PC under section 550 and not in the Customs Act, 1969, revealed a summary sent to the chief secretary.
"Cr.PC is a valid effective statute and has precedence over Customs Act. These vehicles have not been impounded for the evasion of Customs Duty, but on account of breach of various relevant sections of Criminal Procedure Code, 1898." Moreover, the sources said, "Tax on the locally assembled vehicles is paid to the government at source, therefore it can be easily constructed that tax has not been evaded on these vehicles." Out of 82, some 17 vehicles were registered with the Sindh Excise and Taxation Department, they said, adding that the remaining 65 were impounded under section 550 Cr.PC as abandoned and unclaimed vehicles.
The registration numbers of vehicles are BA-5623 (Mini Pajero) and BB-9832, AJE-045, AB-3444, ACG-921, ACP-380, AA-8049, Z-2701, AB-8229, ACL-103, ANB-087, W-9068, AC-3441, ACD-727, U-1916, JM-3492 and Z-0075 (all vehicles are of Toyota Corolla brand). They said the matter would be referred to the law department, or the customs authorities might be informed that all 82 vehicles at Nazarat under section 550 Cr.PC were the Sindh government's property.