The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has refuted claims that an amnesty scheme has been introduced to regularize smuggled vehicles within Pakistan.
Sources reveal that vehicles smuggled into Balochistan from Afghanistan, primarily through Chaman and other passageways, are subsequently sold across various cities at substantial profits, resulting in significant revenue losses for the national exchequer.
Social media recently surfaced with speculation about the FBR planning an amnesty scheme to regularize these vehicles. Economic experts have proposed that the government devise a policy to regularize vehicles that have evaded customs duties, which could potentially recoup billions for the national treasury.
Nevertheless, the FBR has explicitly denied these reports. The FBR addressed the public via its official X (Twitter) account, dismissing the amnesty scheme reports as unfounded rumours and unequivocally rejecting any plans for such a scheme.
The FBR’s statement emphasized, “We wish to clarify that there is no proposal for any amnesty scheme currently under consideration by the federal government. We urge citizens to disregard any misleading news proliferating on social media or other unverified sources.”
Reports indicate that while various regulations are in place for non-custom paid vehicles in different regions of Pakistan, the use of Kabul-imported vehicles remains prevalent in Quetta and other areas of Balochistan, where they are periodically confiscated. Experts argue that a clear-cut policy to regularize these vehicles could mitigate crime and significantly enhance revenue for the national treasury.
