Dera Ghazi Khan - The Joint Inquiry Committee (JIC), formed to probe within five days a special report on smuggling of vehicles to Punjab from Balochistan, has failed to complete the inquiry even after the passage of 42 days.
The prolonged delay on the part of the JIC convener in this respect has put a question on the credibility of the inquiry. Former Dera Ghazi Khan Divisional Commissioner Yasrab Hunjra had constituted the JIC on February 6, 2017 and tasked it with probing the confidential report that shows that 8 to 10 non-custom paid (NCP) vehicles are smuggled per day from Balochistan to Punjab through tribal areas of DG Khan.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Revenue (ADCR) Abdul Shakoor was nominated as convener of JIC along with other three members including the representative of Regional Police Officer (RPO) DG Khan, district officer Special Branch and District Officer Intelligence Bureau (IB) Dera Ghazi Khan.
According to the report, smuggling under patronage of some corrupt Border Military Police (BMP) officials and black sheep of local police stations, non customs paid vehicles like Toyota Vitz, Toyota Corolla Fielder, Euro, and Toyota Parados (Japan Assembled) are being carried out from Chaman-Waish (Balochistan) border into Punjab province using four famous routes.
The first route starts from Galki tribal area, crossing Darbar, Mohsin Crush Plant and Sokar Mor (Punjab Police Station PS City Taunsa Sharif) ends at Basti Rahwali near Atomic Plant. The second route starts from Galki tribal area and ends at Gypsum Mor near Indus Highway via Basti kohar, Kot Qaisrani. The thirds route also starts from Galki tribal area and via Sokar Mor, PS Taunsa Sharif ends at town Mangrotha near Indus Highway. The forth one starting from Rakni (Balochistan) via Kharar Buzdar ends at the area of Punjab Police PS Taunsa Sharif.
The special report pointed out that the smugglers pay an amount of Rs45,000 per vehicle to the BMP officials; in return, the corrupt officials provide safe passage for the smuggled vehicles. The amount of bribe is distributed to BMP personal. The BMP troop deployed at check post gets Rs5,000 per vehicle, In-charge BMP Post Rs10,000 and Circle Officer BMP Rs30,000 per vehicle. Similarly, for the vehicles coming from Chowki wala Indus Highway, a Rs30,000 per vehicle is paid as bribe to the SHO of Saddar Taunsa Sharif police station Mehar Qayyum. Likewise, In-charge BMP Post Mumdani Circle Jamadar Asghar Khan Lund receives Rs20,000 per vehicle while Dafadar Ziaullah receives Rs10,000 per vehicle.
The report has also disclosed that the smuggled vehicles which move towards KPK province are provided safe passage with mutual consent of Raitra police and Wohva police station heads and In-charge Check Post Triman. At Head Taunsa Sharif, the smugglers pay pay Rs22,000 per vehicle to In-charge Bridge Post PS Saddar Taunsa Sharif and picket In-charge each whereas Patrolling In-charge is also paid Rs20,000 per vehicle as bribe.
According to the report, former Naib Defadar BMP Muhammad Ramzan Buzdar plays a pivotal role in smuggling of NCP vehicles through different routes of tribal area adjoining to district DG Khan. He receives a good amount of money to park the smuggled vehicles safe and sound at his petrol station situated at Fazla Kach tribal area.
The report has said that six more persons are directly involved in the smuggling. They are UC Fazla Kach Chariman Aslam and Saif Ullah of Fazla Kach, Zaman Mithwani of Manka tribal area, Musa Qaisrani of Bairot Madwani tribal area, and Ismail Pathan of Pul Qabar Tunsa Sharif.
It is recommended that the unchecked smuggling of vehicles in Punjab indicates a weak mechanism of coordination and sharing of intelligence amongst district police, BMP and other LEAs. Experts stressed that the intelligence sharing mechanism should be strengthened and needs to be devised on scientific lines. The patrolling by LEAs and police in this Tri Border Area (Punjab-Balochistan-Sindh) may be increased. They also said the notorious and known corrupt elements who patronize / facilitate vehicles smugglers and provide them a safe passage towards Punjab should be indentifies and taken to the task.
Earlier, another confidential report of District Officer Special Branch DG Khan had pointed out that Naib Defadar BMP Habib Ullah Leghari, Sawar (constables) Dost Muhammad, Ghulam Mustafa, Ferdous Sarwar, Nabi Bakhsh Buzdar, Anwar and many others are involved in smuggling of NCP vehicles and facilitating smugglers. They are posted at Bawata, Rakhi Ghaj and many other BMP check posts. The report has already been buried at unknown place due to apathy of BMP administration.
When contacted, JIC Convener ADCR Abdul Shakoor said that JIC might submit an report within the next three to four days. To a question, Shakoor said he had not gotten any proof against anyone yet, therefore it might be filed with no result.
Sikandar Haider
