Pakistan Customs

Pakistan Customs () is one of the elite cadres of the Civil Services of Pakistan.

Pakistan Customs is manned by officers from the Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) which is one of the premier occupational group among Pakistan's civil services. Previously known as the “Customs & Excise Group”, it re-classified as Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) in November 2010, when the responsibilities of Sales Tax & Federal Excise were taken away and a new occupational service created to collect Sales Tax, Federal Excise and Income Tax, named as Inland Revenue Service (IRS).

It has given the PCS officers a break to focus on their core function of guarding the nation’s borders against smuggling, illegitimate trade and money laundering. The role of Pakistan Customs Service has been greatly enhanced as a law enforcement agency with focus on border control.

The anti-smuggling powers delegated previously by Pakistan Customs to Pakistan Rangers, Police, Frontier Constabulary and Levies are withdrawn in view of expansion of Pakistan Customs role in border regions. The shift in the role of Pakistan Customs to a Border Control Agency with substantial responsibility in safe-guarding country’s trade policies, intellectual property rights, transit trade, anti money laundering, anti smuggling is what appears to be the future of Pakistan Customs Service.

Pakistan Customs is th only law enforcement agency, that also has the jurisdiction in the sea and operates in 200 nautical miles (370.4 km; 230.2 mi) called Pakistan Customs Waters to prevent smuggling activities independently and also carries out join operations with Pakistan Coast Guard and Pakistan Maritime.

History

The origin of an organized Customs Department in the sub-continent can be traced to 1878 when maritime Customs operations were sought to be institutionalized by Her Majesty’s Crown under the Sea Customs Act.

In 1901, Karachi was declared as the Chief Port of Sindh. In the following year, a plan was instituted to build permanent offices for the port and Customs officials at Karachi. The task was entrusted to Mr. G. Willet, the consulting architect to the Government , who designed the new building as a semi-circular structure in the Victorian tradition. The construction of the building commenced in 1912 and culminated in 1914. The first meeting of KPT and Customs was held in that building on 12 January 1916.

After independence in 1947, the Sea Customs Act, 1878 continued to be the legal framework for Customs operations in Pakistan.The land Customs Estate Mauripur spreading over 4605.38 acres, was Occupied in three pieces of 960, 2720.38 and 925 acres in the year 1878, 1930 and 1935 from the revenue department, Karachi port Trust and Karachi Municipal Corporation respectively this land was acquired by the erstwhile Central Board Of Revenue, Finance Department, Government Of India. However, the need for a new Customs legislation was felt all along. The task of developing the new legislation was undertaken in 1966, by the First Secretary of the Central Board of Revenue and the Customs Act, 1969 was promulgated on 20 June 1968.

See also

* Pakistan Customs cricket team

References

External links

Official

{{Customs services

Pakistan federal departments and agencies
Customs services