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Fata political agents' deputies empowered to act as customs officials

SOHAIL SARFRAZ

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has empowered assistant political agents, tehsildars and naib tehsildars working under political agents to exercise the powers of respective customs officers in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

All officers of the Pakistan Coast Guards not below the rank of Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) have also been authorised to exercise the powers of the customs officers.

Sources told Business Recorder that the objective is to effectively check smuggling across the border specially Fata.

Assistant Political Agent can enjoy the powers of Assistant Collector Customs, Tehsildars can exercise the powers of Superintendent Customs and Naib Tehsildars can use the powers of Inspector of Customs.

In this regard, the CBR has issued two different notifications of customs on Monday.

The powers given to coast guards, assistant political agents and below relates to confiscation of vehicles, power to search, arrest, search warrant, search and arrest without warrant, to stop and search the vehicles, interrogate, issue summons for arrest, arrest of absconders, confiscate smuggled goods and seizure of documents.

However, the Board has not granted power of issuing show cause notice.

Official sources said these additional powers will help the assistant political agents, tehsildars, naib tehsildars and coast guards to have an effective check on smuggling at the border areas especially Fata and the practical implementation of the Customs Act.

Recently, political agents of Fata were given powers of Additional Collector of Customs in their respective jurisdictions.