After the DG Rangers`
report,the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan directed authorities to
submit a report on the illegal smuggling and theft of duty at Karachi’s
seaports within the next seven days. The chief justice also formed a one-member
commission, comprising former Customs Collector RamzanBhatti, and ordered the
Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) to fully cooperate with the commission in investigating
smuggling activities on the ports.
However, before
RamzanBhatti’s commission report, the US embassy refuted media reports
that claimed around 19,000 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
containers were stolen from the Karachi portthrough a press release. The
embassy further said, “While the United States routinely uses Karachi ports for
both diplomatic and military shipments, neither the United States nor ISAF has
ever shipped weapons or ammunition via Karachi ports.” Meanwhile, MQM`s Babar
Khan Ghouri moved the apex court requesting it to expunge the assertions and
the American embassy to reject the claim regarding the theft of the ISAF
containers. Not only that, at the same time, the director general of Sindh
Rangers retracted his allegation that former ports and shipping minister
Senator Babar Ghauri had connived in disappearance of 19,000 containers.
Later on, RamzanBhatti
commission`s report was submitted to the Supreme Court. The commission’s report
said that the Rangers DG in his reply to the commission denied his statement recorded
by the apex court. The report said, “Therefore, no need of further
investigation on the involvement or
connivance of the then minister for ports and shipping,”. In 15-page report, the commission said the DG
Rangers did not provide proof to substantiate his claim. Citing the report,
sources said most of the containers that allegedly disappeared were carrying
goods as part of the Afghan transit trade. Only a few hundred, they added,
belonged to NATO.
The commission’s
investigations further revealed that “hardly any arms and ammunition are being
smuggled through sea routes” as “all the intelligence agencies and law enforcement
agencies are present at the sea ports as well as high seas have categorically
stated that they have neither received any information regarding smuggling of
arms and ammunition through sea routes, nor any information has been passed to
the Customs to this effect”. “It has been informed by different law enforcement
agencies that the weapons/pistols used in Karachi violence are of 30 bore or
9mm caliber which are either locally made or of China origin. However,
collector of customs Peshawar has confirmed that AK-47 rifle of Russian origin
and other small arms of US origin are available for sale in tribal areas
adjoining KPK”.
Earlier, in a
comprehensive report submitted to the Supreme Court by Federal Tax Ombudsman
Dr. ShoaibSuddle, the Supreme Court had been informed that the country had
suffered a whopping loss of Rs19 billion to Rs37 billion over the past four
years because of pilferage of containers which entered the Pakistani territory
in the name of Afghan Transit Trade (ATT). Lately the print and electronic
media have been abuzz with the news of ISAF container scandal. It appears that
the ISAF imported some containers of alcohol for their troops engaged in
fighting the war in Afghanistan. Somehow, the alcohol never made it to
Afghanistan and was unloaded in the markets of Pakistan. Dr. ShoaibSuddle
said that the criminal investigation should be initiated against the officials
involved in the scam.
In addition to all the above investigations and their resulted reports
submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a famous anchor Kamran Khan in one
of his programs said that a few days ago, news was heard that 19,000 containers
full of weapons had disappeared after disembarking at the Karachi port, but now
it had been proved that it was a big lie.
He further said, “On August
30, the DG Rangers said at the Supreme Court that 19,000 containers full of
weapons had been stolen from Karachi port and the weapons spread across the
country and the name of a federal minister was cited in this context. In
the thick of this sensational news item came with the clarification by the DG
Rangers that the DG neither said that 19,000 containers were stolen nor he
cited the name of any federal minister.”
Kamran Khan
further said that since the thing had become a part of the Supreme Court record,
the federal government immediately formed a commission which rushed to Karachi
to get to the bottom of the matter. It was apparently clear at the time
that the news was unfounded and now it had been proved that there was no truth
in the claim and that the question of 19,000 containers theft did not exist. In
this connection, the US embassy in a statement categorically said that not a
single container of NATO or ISAF had been stolen from Karachi port or anywhere
else. They also said whatever consignment of the Western armed forces landed in
Karachi port did not contain any arms or ammunitions which, in fact, were
transported to Afghanistan by air. Now official sources had also come out
saying that there was no truth in the news.
Taking into account all
these facts, the allegation of 19,000 NATO containers against MQM from
ZulfiqarMirza and the DG Rangers prove truly a blatant lie.
However, very surprisingly, despite the reality
of the mystery of the so-called missing NATO containers coming to light, the
lawyer for an intelligence agency, Raja Irshad trashed the position of the
American ambassador clarification and once again claimed that 19,000 containers
did go missing that were filled with weapons.
Not only that, even the Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja
as well as the Chief Justice IftekharChoudhry looked to be unhappy with the US
Ambassador on refuting the scandal of 19,000 containers. Justice Jawwad S.
Khwaja said, “What was the need for the US ambassador to make the clarification
at this stage? Who asked him to do that?” He further said, “It should be probed
that who motivated him to give that clarification”
Similarly, while directing the FBR Chairman to
submit the details of the letter sent to his office by the American envoy, who denied reports that any containers carrying supplies for NATO and US
forces in Afghanistan had gone missing in Pakistan, the CJP
ItekharChoudhry said, “You should have taken him (to US ambassador) to Peshawar’s
Karkhano market so he could see for himself that a big quantity of smuggled
weapons are being sold openly. The whole country has many such markets now.”
All these remarks clearly show that these people
are of the view that US ambassador has told a lie and that the 19,000 NATO
containers containing weapons really went missing and deliberately dumped in
Karachi for the criminals.
Logically assuming, if they are right, it means
that they must be having the sufficient concrete evidences and proofs in the
support. Therefore, now it is the responsibility of the DG Rangers and other
agencies to produce the relevant evidences in order to prove the US/NATO
culprit of maliciously dumping their weapons in Karachi for promoting violence.
It is also the responsibility of the CJP IftekharChoudhry to lead the case so
as to bring the culprit (US and NATO) to justice if they are involved in it.
However, if they fail to prove so, all the initiators and propagators of the
19,000 NATO containers` story, should immediately be sacked and be tried under
the Articles 62 63 on big lie against a one political party which is
representing more than 80% people of Karachi.
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