By Moin Kamali
KARACHI: A startling revelation has emerged that tax-free goods imported for Pakistan’s former FATA region have been illegally cleared through customs and sold in Karachi, causing substantial losses to the national treasury.
Sources reported that Karachi-based businessman Khawar wrote to the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), exposing a scheme in which mafias allegedly diverted goods intended exclusively for FATA. These tax-free imports—including textiles, plastics, cooking oil, and other items that benefit from an 8% sales tax exemption—were cleared from customs without proper tracking and sold on a large scale in Karachi.
Officials confirmed that customs authorities had cleared all containers marked for FATA, but the lack of proper monitoring allowed the goods to bypass regulations, resulting in losses running into millions of rupees for the national exchequer.
In his letter, Khawar not only highlighted the financial damage caused by this illegal trade but also urged the FBR to review the laws governing FATA’s import incentives to prevent further misuse. Authorities have reportedly begun examining the allegations and the role of unmonitored container clearances in facilitating the illicit sales.
