Sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that the IR-EN large-scale drive against the non-duty paid cigarettes has resulted in seizure of 30 trucks of non-duty paid cigarettes from AJK. This massive seizure has created panic among the tax evaders how to stop this non-stop action of Tobacco Squads of the IR-EN, particularly Tobacco Squad RTO Rawalpindi. The actions have been correctly and legally carried out within the specified territorial jurisdiction of Pakistan after fulfillment of all legal formalities. The persistent actions and seizure against the non-duty paid cigarettes of AJK has left tax evaders with no option other than to tarnish the image of IR-EN. Another key aspect was to create confusion among the tax machinery about the territorial jurisdictions exercised by the Tobacco Squads of the IR-EN.
One of such big attempts was prevented when Regional Tax Office (RTO) Rawalpindi received a fake/bogus seizure report of non-duty paid cigarettes seized at Nowshera, KPK, by Tobacco Squad RTO Rawalpindi. The letter along with seizure report was sent by an AJK-based cigarette manufacturer through its legal counsel. Through the fake/bogus seizure report, the company of AJK tried to make an impression that the Tobacco Squad of RTO Rawalpindi has operated beyond its territorial jurisdiction and made seizure at Nowshera, KPK. The fake/bogus seizure report of the company also created an impression that the Tobacco Squad of RTO Rawalpindi is conducting its operations beyond its territorial jurisdiction.
The purpose of the whole fraudulent activity was to create some kind of situation to discourage the Tobacco Squad of RTO Rawalpindi from carrying out future action against the non-duty paid cigarette manufacturers of AJK. When such major actions are taking place, such kind of fraudulent techniques are also used by tax evaders to distract the focus of smooth exercise against non-duty paid cigarette manufacturers of AJK. It was wrongly presumed by the company that such bogus documents or reports might halt the ongoing action against the non-duty paid cigarette manufacturers of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
Reacting to the bogus letter of the AJK-based cigarette manufacturing company, the concerned official of the RTO Rawalpindi informed that seizure report mentioning Nowshera, KPK, is a fake and concocted document therefore this office disowns it categorically. Tobacco Squad RTO Rawalpindi has been conducting its operations & seizures for the last 1 1/4 year but so far neither any seizure report was issued on such a format nor it conducted any operation out of its territorial jurisdiction. "Our earlier seizures even in the case of this company endorse this assertion," a letter of RTO Rawalpindi said.
Following aspects of the case further strengthen RTO Rawalpindi's views:
Firstly, both the letter head used in the subject seizure and the signatures are fake. Secondly, the reference number mentioned in the seizure is not in accordance with the record of RTO Rawalpindi.
Thirdly, above all absurdity of the fake document can be judged from the simple fact that in reference for "Cigarette", the abbreviation 'Sig' has been used, which proves that some semi-literate fraudster has concocted this document.
"However, if the manufacturer still feels aggrieved, as the subject matter pertains to Regional Tax Office Peshawar, you are advised to contact Chief Commissioner IR, Regional Tax Office Peshawar," Shujaat Ali Khan Assistant Director-IR Tobacco Squad added.