Nato smuggling case: SC seeks report from Customs

Supreme Court on Monday sought a comprehensive report from Custom officials vis-a-vis Nato containers smuggling case by Sept 23. A three-member SC bench heard the Nato smuggling case. Many people would lose their jobs in the case as besides Customs, police and Levies are also involved in the containers scam, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked. A concerned CJ observed that the case is very big issue as goods being smuggled in Nato containers from Afghanistan, sans paying duty is incurring heavy losses to national kitty. Who will be responsible if the containers of Nato unload explosives within Pakistan, the chief justice asked during hearing of a case about finding of thousands litres of liquor from a Nato container enroute to Afghanistan from Karachi. Customs representative Munir Qureshi told the court that Nato stuff is being supplied either by trains or NLC, however added that some private transporters also transport the goods. The CJ said that there are plethora of complaints that smuggling is being carried out in the pretext of Nato tankers. The court adjourned the case till Sept 23.