KARACHI, Jan 19: Customs officers on Saturday went on strike following the FIR lodged by the FIA against some of the customs officials.

As a result, import consignments could not be cleared because the customs staff deputed at Karachi port, Port Qasim and airport did not work for the day.

However, on the intervention of Collector, Customs (export), Aftab Anwar Baloch, the collectorate staff resumed their work after mid-day.

Since it was a last loading day, around 350 to 400 export documents piled up with the export collectorate. However, the collectorate staff on resuming work began to process and clear export consignments to meet the shipping schedule.

The export collectorate also managed to disburse cheques of Rs50 million against rebate claims, official sources said.

Though the matter has been partially resolved, but customs staff of export collectorate have threatened to go back on strike if the matter is not totally resolved by Monday.

The FIA has taken a plea that these officers have cleared consignments of printing machinery under the garb of computer printers, which resulted in evasion of import duty.

However, the protesting customs officers are of the view that classification of import consignments is not the jurisdiction of the FIA but it is of PCT committee, CBR and WCO.

A spokesman for Karachi Customs told Dawn under Harmonized System (HS) every consignment could be disputed because there was a thin line for differentiating products from each other.

Disputing the FIA powers and action, he said, the agency had no legal authority to classify import consignments.

Customs sources said in total 13 FIRs have been lodged by the FIA against different officers of collectorate of appraisement, including one principal appraiser and four other appraising officers.

Sources said the FIA had already arrested some officers in this connection and was looking for others.

About a week back the KCCI had also urged that the FIA should follow rules and desist from classification of imported goods.

In a communication to the FIA director, the KCCI suggested that in case of any dispute with regard to classification, assessment etc. the agency may investigate the matter. But proper references and findings be communicated to customs authorities to decided the issue on merit.