PESHAWAR: The customs clearing and forwarding agents from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have urged the National Accountability Bureau chairman to order the transfer of the Nato container disappearance cases from the bureau’s Karachi offices to those of Peshawar.

In a statement issued here on Friday, the customs agents said they were stressed out as they had to frequently travel to Karachi to appear before the NAB regional office in the cases about the disappearance of Nato containers in the country.

They complained there was no noteworthy progress in the said cases.

According to them, the NAB has so far failed to prove the charge of container theft against customs clearing and forwarding agents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh.

The customs agents said former FBR member (customs) Hafiz Mohammad Anis had compiled a report, which showed around 28,000 shipping containers laden with goods for Nato troops in Afghanistan had disappeared in Pakistan.

They, however, said an inquiry conducted by former federal tax ombudsman Dr Shoaib Suddle put the number of missing containers at 7,922.

The customs agents said in light of the inquiry, the NAB filed a reference and cases against customs agents and others with the relevant forums in Karachi.

They said the cases had been pending decision for around two years.

According to them, the NAB has charged around 450 customs clearing and forwarding agents in the cases and even if anyone of them is absent, the proceedings don’t take place.

The customs agents said the NAB had regional offices in all provinces and therefore, its chairman should order the transfer of container disappearance cases to the respective regional offices.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014