The Senate Standing Committee on Finance has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and other enforcement agencies to check the massive misuse of UAE number plate vehicles in Pakistan, which foreign dignitaries including Arabs had temporarily imported for their use during hunting seasons.
While reviewing the Finance Bill 2023, the committee recommended the confiscation of vehicles gifted by Arab dignitaries during their visits to Pakistan for hunting.
Committee Chairman Senator Saleem Mandviwalla expressed serious concern that the vehicles temporarily imported by the Arab dignitaries are not re-exported back to their respective countries. He said that there are instances where individuals freely bring these vehicles to the Parliament House.
He said that these vehicles are gifted to the Pakistanis and they continue to use the vehicles with the same foreign number plates. Local police are also afraid to take action against drivers of such vehicles on the assumption that some powerful person might be the owner of the vehicle.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Member Customs Policy Suraiya Ahmed Butt was of the view that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gives them a time period for hunting season. The procedure has been further tightened to check for any misuse of the facility.
In this regard, the government gives special permission for the temporary import of vehicles which is further extended. The overstayed vehicles are confiscated as well. She explained that a detailed procedure has been given in Chapter-99 of the Pakistan Customs Tariff for the disposal of such vehicles.
It’s totally domain of Excise department rather than FBR.