In a dramatic twist, President Asif Ali Zardari has remanded a high-profile case involving the alleged disappearance and claimed destruction of 42 high-end iPhones at Islamabad International Airport, sending the matter back to the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) for fresh examination.
The case centers on serious allegations that customs officials may have falsely reported the destruction of 42 iPhone 14 Pro Max devices, despite evidence suggesting that some of the phones could still be active.
At the heart of the controversy are two Assistant Collectors posted at the airport, Assistant Collector Farva Batool and Assistant Collector Uswa, whose committee report on the matter will now come under renewed scrutiny.
The 42 iPhones That Wouldn’t Die
According to the importer, the 42 brand-new iPhone 14 Pro Max units were confiscated at the airport even though he was willing to pay all applicable duties and taxes to secure their release. However, customs authorities later declared the devices “destroyed” on the grounds that they were not imported in accordance with the law.
The controversy deepened when the importer claimed that several of the listed IMEIs show active iCloud statuses, with some devices reportedly restored recently, raising doubts about whether the phones were ever physically destroyed.
In his complaint filed under the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, the importer termed the matter more than mere administrative mismanagement, alleging potential fraud.
In response, the Collectorate of Customs (Airports), Islamabad, maintained that all 42 IMEIs were blacklisted through the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and that proper destruction procedures were followed.
According to customs officials, the devices were transported to a designated destruction site.
They argued that iCloud accounts are not device-specific and can be accessed from other hardware, comparing the situation to an email account that can be logged into from multiple devices.
Officials also stated that the complainant had previously approached the FTO in 2024 and should have filed a review petition instead of submitting a fresh complaint.
President Zardari, however, has directed the FTO to examine the matter on its merits. In his order, he observed that an earlier favorable decision had reportedly been issued by an Assistant Collector, permitting clearance of the phones upon payment of duties and taxes.
The President directed the FTO to determine whether the devices were legally clearable upon payment of duty, verify whether the phones were genuinely destroyed, and scrutinize the committee report submitted by Assistant Collectors Farva Batool and Uswa. He has instructed that the entire matter be decided within one month.
The importer claims to have suffered significant financial losses due to the confiscation and alleged destruction of the 42 premium devices, along with reputational damage. The case has now raised broader questions about transparency, procedural compliance, and oversight within customs operations at one of the country’s busiest international gateways.
With the FTO tasked to re-examine the issue within a strict timeframe, the outcome of the inquiry could have wider implications for import procedures and accountability mechanisms at Pakistan’s airports.
chor doosre chor ki accountability kare ga 😂🤣