PESHAWAR: Confiscated vehicles given to army, LEAs
By Intikhab Amir
PESHAWAR, Nov 10: Chief executive’s secretariat requisitioned, during the last year, hundreds of vehicles that had been confiscated by various collectorates of Central Board of Revenue (CBR), official sources told Dawn here on Saturday.
Through different letters, said the sources, confiscated vehicles had been requisitioned from the CBR for provision to Special Army Monitoring Teams (SAMTs).
According to one source, holding an important office, some 500 vehicles have so far been provided to the secretariat by various extensions and collectorates of the CBR.
Initially, said the sources, confiscated vehicles had been requisitioned for their placement with the SAMTs, however, it appeared that the vehicles had been distributed among various extensions, departments and agencies of army.
“Customs collectorates, across the country, were simply asked not to auction the vehicles - confiscated from time to time on charges of their being non-duty-paid,” said an official source.
The vehicles requisitioned have been distributed among the Military Intelligence, signal corps, medical corps, etc.
The move, said the sources, had deprived the CBR of revenue. Hundreds of millions of rupees had been raised by the CBR by auctioning confiscated vehicles during the last several years.
However, other sources said that though CBR lost substantial amount of revenue, the military government met its requirements for additional vehicles without spending state funds.
“Under the law, this is permissible,” said a source when asked about the legitimacy of bringing under official use the confiscated vehicles.
Over three dozen vehicles, said the sources, had been provided by the Peshawar Customs Collectorate.
Initially, the sources said, the chief executive’s secretariat had asked for cars with petrol engines of 1500cc. Later, they asked for diesel-engine-driven vehicles of 2000cc power - involving double-cabin Toyota pick-ups and Toyota Hiace.
“They never asked for luxury vehicles,” said the sources.
Similarly, keeping in line with Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf’s instructions, over 100 vehicles have been issued to the Frontier Constabulary.
The vehicles issued to the FC had actually been confiscated by the force, from time to time, for their not being customs-duty paid.
Under the law, said the sources, a law enforcement agency having anti-smuggling powers could be issued the vehicles confiscated by it.
In accordance with certain other provisions of the Customs Act, the vehicles confiscated by law enforcement agencies should be handed over to the customs - for its being the authority concerned.
However, the customs authorities appear to be reluctant to issue the vehicles to the NWFP police.
The police, said the sources, had also confiscated some non-duty-paid vehicles during the past months. The police also wanted to be issued the vehicles in line with chief executive’s instructions for maintenance of peace.
However, the Peshawar-based customs authorities in their recently sent communique to the CBR had pointed out some legal points hindering the placement of the vehicles with the police.
Apart from the chief executive’s secretariat and the FC, several extensions of CBR had also been issued vehicles from the confiscated ones.
