FAISALABAD, April 13: Taking a serious view of the financial scam of the Faisalabad dryport's laboratory, the Central Board of Revenue has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the facts. Member Central Excise Muhammad Naseer has been appointed an inquiry officer.

Sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the CBR officials had received a number of reports and complaints that the local Customs officials had received heavy amounts from exporters in shape of fee for testing laboratory in violation of the prescribed rules.

The mysterious escape of the main suspect of the scam, Upper Divisional Clerk Muhammad Asif, also forced the higher-ups to probe the matter, they said. The member central excise has been directed to inspect the official documents and record statements of the officials concerned.

According to the sources, the inquiry officers visited offices of the Customs department at the dryport and minutely checked the related files. He also met the dryport officials in connection with the inquiry.

Meanwhile, there was no clue to the whereabouts of the missing clerk on the fifth consecutive day. Suspect Muhammad Asif's relatives alleged that the Customs officials had murdered him or confined to some private cell just to conceal their crime.

textile ministers: The All-Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association has welcomed the decision to induct a textile minister in the federal and provincial cabinets and termed it a right step in right direction.

In a statement here on Tuesday, APTPMA chief Sheikh Amjad said textile was one of the most important sectors of the national economy and every forum, including the FPCCI, had been demanding establishment of a full-fledged ministry to look after the interest of all textile related sectors.

He said the second important decision which the prime minister had announced during his recent visit to Faisalabad related to the installation of water treatment plant.

Meanwhile, a number of local trade organizations have appreciated the announcement made by the prime minister for the establishment of federal and provincial textile ministries. They demanded the government to take the sectors concerned into confidence prior to the implementation of this important decision.