Curbing smuggling: FBR intelligence unit sets up two regional bodies

Thursday, 05 July 2012 10:06

Posted by Imaduddin

457

SOHAIL SARFRAZ

ISLAMABAD: The Direc-torate-General of Intelligence and Investigation Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has established two new regional directorates at Rawalpindi and Gwadar to curb smuggling in their specific jurisdictions from July 1 this year.

In this connection, the FBR Wednesday issued the territorial jurisdiction of the Headquarters and Regional Directorates of DG Intelligence FBR.

Under the notification, the Directorate of Faisalabad and Regional Offices of Peshawar and Quetta have been upgraded as new Directorates of I&I, FBR. Through this order, the Directorate General I&I FBR has re-defined jurisdictions of its Regional Directorates.

The Directorate General Intelligence & Investigation, FBR has curtailed the jurisdictions of Directorate of I&I, FBR Lahore and Quetta by bringing Civil Divisions Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur (Punjab) under the jurisdiction of newly established Directorate of I&I, FBR Faisalabad and Districts Gwadar, Kech, Panjgur, Lasbela and Awaran (Balochistan), including Pakistan Customs Water's contiguous with the province of Balochistan, under the jurisdiction of Directorate of I&I, FBR Gwadar.

Previously, whole of the Punjab was in the jurisdiction of Lahore Directorate excluding Civil Division Rawalpindi. Now, Directorate of I&I, FBR Faisalabad would deal with Civil Divisions Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur (Punjab).

Moreover, the Civil Division Rawalpindi, Islamabad Capital Territory and Gilgit Baltistan have been become under the jurisdiction of Directorate of I&I, FBR Rawalpindi. The DG I&I, FBR has issued this order as the Federal Board of Revenue vide its Customs General Order No5 of 2012, dated 27TH March, 2012 created two new Directorates of DG I&I - FBR; one at Gwadar and the other at Rawalpindi. Moreover, the Customs General Order also upgraded Regional Office Quetta and Peshawar and Range Office Faisalabad of the Directorate General to the level of Directorates. The above mentioned Customs General Order became effective from July 1, 2012, therefore, the DG I&I, FBR re-defined territorial jurisdiction of its Regional Directorates.

Sources said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan took Suo Moto notice of the ISAF Containers Scam which was detected by Directorate General Intelligence & Investigation, FBR. The Supreme Court directed the Federal Tax Ombudsman probe the matter. FTO submitted a detailed report to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The Supreme Court made the report of FTO part of its order passed in the Sou Moto Case No. 16 of 2010 (ISAF Container Scam). The report contains certain recommendations for better performance of Pakistan Customs and to minimize the chances of such scams in future. One of the recommendations of the report was that "the Directorate General Intelligence & Investigation needs to be suitably upgraded to act as an effective deterrence against actual and potential tax evaders and their accomplices within the Customs Department".

In order to implement the decision, the FBR issued the Customs General Order No5 of 2012 upgrading the DGI&I, FBR.

It is further learnt that the DGI&I, FBR which is already facing acute shortage of human resource, has assigned the officers of already existing Directorates to look after the work of newly established Directorates. The officers and staff of existing Regional Directorates would look after the work of newly established Directorates till the creation of new for the new Regional Directorates.

Moreover, FBR is examining the proposal of increasing the sanctioned strength of Superintendents (BS-16), Senior Intelligence Officers (BS-15) and Intelligence Officers (BS-14) and Sepoys (BS-5) of DGI&I, FBR.

According to the FBR's order, subsequent upon the establishment of new regional offices and upgradation of Regional Offices, areas of the respective jurisdiction of Headquarters Office and all Regional Directorates of Directorate-General of Intelligence and Investigation FBR has been notified from July 1, 2012.

Directorate of I &I FBR Quetta would have the territorial jurisdiction of the whole province of Balochistan including Provincially Administered Tribal Areas therefore excluding territorial jurisdiction of Directorate of I&I FBR Gwadar.

Directorate of I &I FBR Karachi would have territorial jurisdiction over the whole province of Sindh including Pakistan Customs Waters contiguous with the said province.

Directorate of I &I FBR Peshawar would have territorial jurisdiction over whole province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Provincially Administered Tribal Areas and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas thereof.

Directorate of I &I FBR Faisalabad would have territorial jurisdiction over Civil Division Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.

Directorate of I &I FBR Lahore would cover areas of Civil Divisions Lahore and Gujranwala.

Directorate of I&I Headquarters would cover whole of Pakistan including Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan Customs Waters, the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of KPK and Balochistan, FBR order added.