SIALKOT
The sale of smuggled and non-custom paid goods has been on the rise in all local markets in Gujranwala Division’s all the six Sialkot, Narowal, Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad and Gujranwala districts. The practice has been going on unabated and unchecked, making the situation critical due t the alleged slackness of the Customs Department.
As per details, different agents transport the non-custom paid smuggled goods including auto parts, LCDs, LEDs, computers, laptops, cellphones, oil, foreign-made cloths, tea, cigarettes and tyres etc to the region from tribal areas by crossing checkposts established by the Customs Departments at various spots including near bridges on rivers including Jhelum, Chenab, Kamonki, Saadhoki and Nandipur-Gujranwala-Sialkot checkpost surprisingly.
Though one can observe special teams of Customs Intelligence and Anti-Smuggling Squad often busy with checking buses, vans and other vehicles at the above mentioned checkposts, they never bother to check vehicles carrying non-custom paid and smuggled goods, allegedly after striking deal with the smugglers, people alleged.
They said that trafficking of smuggled and non-custom paid goods, especially electronics appliances has going unabated due to the alleged corruption of the officials concerned of the Customs Department in Sialkot region.
Meanwhile, some people, seeking anonymity, alleged that the officials of Customs Department only teased the common man in the name of checking, give a free hand to those doing the illegal business, adding that the critical situation had left a question mark on the performance of the Customs Department.
When contacted, local shopkeepers said that they were compelled to sell smuggled non-custom paid goods to a big profit margin. They said that all goods having paid custom duties had less profit margin that’s why they preferred selling non-custom paid smuggled items at their shops.
When contacted, the officials concerned of the Customs Department declared all these allegations baseless, saying that the Customs Department was striving to eliminate smuggling of non-custom paid goods despite limited resources of the department. They said that noose around smugglers had been further tightened and a massive crackdown would soon be launched in the region to curb the open sale of non-custom paid smuggled goods in local markets.
MONITORING OF SALT IODISATION STRESSED: The District Health Department has assigned sanitary and food inspectors to monitor iodized salt production on weekly basis in the district. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Javaid Warraich directed the sanitary and food inspectors to strengthen the monitoring mechanism of salt processors, retail outlets, markets and household to ensure adequate iodization of edible salt.
He was addressing the concluding ceremony of two-day refresher training of sanitary and food workers and the salt processors. On the occasion, Dr Ziaul Hassan stressed upon the need to use two pronged strategy of motivation, education and legal action to enhance edible salt adequacy.
The participants were told that DCO Nadeem Sarwar had imposed a complete ban on the production of un-iodized edible salt in the district with immediate effect, asking all salt processors to ensure production of 100 percent adequately iodized salt.