The Mystery of Missing 19,000 NATO Containers! (Part-1)

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The Mystery of Missing 19,000 NATO Containers! (Part-1)
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While responding the severe criticism of PTI`s Imran Khan’s23rd November`s sit-inadresson the PML-N government, PML-N`s spokesman Pervez Rasheed denied all the allegations. He clarified that Pakistan had been providing the logistic support to the NATO which contained only the non-military items including food supplies.

This is not only the first time, that government inPakistan has been making the similar clarifications about the NATO supply for Afghanistan. The question is, when only the food-stuff is supplied to Afghanistan in the NATO containers via Pakistan, then how did the scandal of 19,000 NATO missing containers allegedly full of ammunition and weapons was documented?

In fact, the term 19,000 NATO`s containers filled with sophisticated weapons became the focus point of the Pakistani media when the former Interior Minister Sindh ZulfiqarMirza accused MQM`s then Federal Minister of Ports and Shipping of being behind this. However, MQM only denied it, but also logically asked if so many containers had really been missing, how the owners, i.e., US or NATO would have been so silent. Truly speaking, it was a very sensitive matter, the Pakistan customs, federal government and all the investigating agencies are silent on it. They neither endorsed ZulfiqarMirza`s allegation nor denied it. Then, after a complete silence for about two years, this matter once again got highlighted in the media when the DG Rangers Sindh submitted his report to the Supreme Court in respect to the case about lawlessness in Karachi.

In his report, the Director General of the Sindh Rangers Maj-Gen RizwanAkhtar claimed that around 19,000 shipping containers containing weapons and vehicles had gone missing during the tenure of the former minister for ports and shipping. Presenting his report, the DG Rangers also informed the SC that the weapons being used in Karachi violence are of the same stolen containers. It was also told to the SC that 9mm pistols were mainly used in murder crimes in the city. But, the question is, do the NATO forces fight the war in Afghanistan with 9mm Pistols?

After the DG Rangers` reports, the Pakistani media-persons as well as the analysts almost believed in it and once again started accusing MQM especially its former federal minister Babar Khan Ghouri. None of them tried to think if it was really possible to steal 20 and 40 feet containers in a big city like Karachi. Frankly speaking, it seems to be very illogical that thefull of weapons thousands of NATO containers are missing and the US as well as the government of Pakistan just kept their mouths close.

Practically speaking, if one or two containers run on the roads of Karachi either to the industrial areas or out of the city, almost all the people on the roads become aware of their presence as their heavy carriers slow down or cause traffic jam. Consequently, how is it possible that containers kept roaming on the roads, arrived at their destination in residential areas of the most populous city and got unloaded, but all the agencies remained in complete darkness about their location?

Further, if any containers were stolen (or were by force taken somewhere else other than their destination___Afghanistan), were their drivers and cleaners recovered or they are still missing like the containers? If they are still missing, then why did their family members not register any FIRs` to the relevant Police stations? Considering the missing persons` case of Baluchistan, had more than 19,000 people really gone missing with the containers, can we imagine what sort of noise could have emerged not only in the city, but from all over the country on it? In the other case, if the drivers of the allegedly stolen containers eventually came back, then did all agencies investigate them to trace where they unloaded the containers?

Similarly, did the Pakistani law-enforcement agencies also submit the copies of the FIRs` as evidence to the Supreme Court registered by the shipping companies about losing their thousands of containers? More importantly, when the first NATO container was lost, why did the Custom Authorities as well as the investigating agencies not probe the matter when they were already aware that it was containing the prohibited weapons? Why did the figure of missing containers reached to 19,000? Is it not a big question mark on the performance even on their trustworthiness?

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The Mystery of Missing 19,000 NATO Containers! (Part-2)
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After the DG Rangers` report,the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan directed authorities to submit a report on the illegal smuggling and theft of duty at Karachi’s seaports within the next seven days. The chief justice also formed a one-member commission, comprising former Customs Collector RamzanBhatti, and ordered the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) to fully cooperate with the commission in investigating smuggling activities on the ports.

However, before RamzanBhatti’s commission report, the US embassy refuted media reports that claimed around 19,000 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) containers were stolen from the Karachi portthrough a press release. The embassy further said, “While the United States routinely uses Karachi ports for both diplomatic and military shipments, neither the United States nor ISAF has ever shipped weapons or ammunition via Karachi ports.” Meanwhile, MQM`s Babar Khan Ghouri moved the apex court requesting it to expunge the assertions and the American embassy to reject the claim regarding the theft of the ISAF containers. Not only that, at the same time, the director general of Sindh Rangers retracted his allegation that former ports and shipping minister Senator Babar Ghauri had connived in disappearance of 19,000 containers.

Later on, RamzanBhatti commission`s report was submitted to the Supreme Court. The commission’s report said that the Rangers DG in his reply to the commission denied his statement recorded by the apex court. The report said, “Therefore, no need of further investigation on the involvement or connivance of the then minister for ports and shipping,”. In 15-page report, the commission said the DG Rangers did not provide proof to substantiate his claim. Citing the report, sources said most of the containers that allegedly disappeared were carrying goods as part of the Afghan transit trade. Only a few hundred, they added, belonged to NATO.

The commission’s investigations further revealed that “hardly any arms and ammunition are being smuggled through sea routes” as “all the intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies are present at the sea ports as well as high seas have categorically stated that they have neither received any information regarding smuggling of arms and ammunition through sea routes, nor any information has been passed to the Customs to this effect”. “It has been informed by different law enforcement agencies that the weapons/pistols used in Karachi violence are of 30 bore or 9mm caliber which are either locally made or of China origin. However, collector of customs Peshawar has confirmed that AK-47 rifle of Russian origin and other small arms of US origin are available for sale in tribal areas adjoining KPK”.

Earlier, in a comprehensive report submitted to the Supreme Court by Federal Tax Ombudsman Dr. ShoaibSuddle, the Supreme Court had been informed that the country had suffered a whopping loss of Rs19 billion to Rs37 billion over the past four years because of pilferage of containers which entered the Pakistani territory in the name of Afghan Transit Trade (ATT). Lately the print and electronic media have been abuzz with the news of ISAF container scandal. It appears that the ISAF imported some containers of alcohol for their troops engaged in fighting the war in Afghanistan. Somehow, the alcohol never made it to Afghanistan and was unloaded in the markets of Pakistan. Dr. ShoaibSuddle said that the criminal investigation should be initiated against the officials involved in the scam.

In addition to all the above investigations and their resulted reports submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, a famous anchor Kamran Khan in one of his programs said that a few days ago, news was heard that 19,000 containers full of weapons had disappeared after disembarking at the Karachi port, but now it had been proved that it was a big lie.

He further said, “On August 30, the DG Rangers said at the Supreme Court that 19,000 containers full of weapons had been stolen from Karachi port and the weapons spread across the country and the name of a federal minister was cited in this context. In the thick of this sensational news item came with the clarification by the DG Rangers that the DG neither said that 19,000 containers were stolen nor he cited the name of any federal minister.”

Kamran Khan further said that since the thing had become a part of the Supreme Court record, the federal government immediately formed a commission which rushed to Karachi to get to the bottom of the matter. It was apparently clear at the time that the news was unfounded and now it had been proved that there was no truth in the claim and that the question of 19,000 containers theft did not exist. In this connection, the US embassy in a statement categorically said that not a single container of NATO or ISAF had been stolen from Karachi port or anywhere else. They also said whatever consignment of the Western armed forces landed in Karachi port did not contain any arms or ammunitions which, in fact, were transported to Afghanistan by air. Now official sources had also come out saying that there was no truth in the news.

Taking into account all these facts, the allegation of 19,000 NATO containers against MQM from ZulfiqarMirza and the DG Rangers prove truly a blatant lie.

However, very surprisingly, despite the reality of the mystery of the so-called missing NATO containers coming to light, the lawyer for an intelligence agency, Raja Irshad trashed the position of the American ambassador clarification and once again claimed that 19,000 containers did go missing that were filled with weapons.

Not only that, even the Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja as well as the Chief Justice IftekharChoudhry looked to be unhappy with the US Ambassador on refuting the scandal of 19,000 containers. Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja said, “What was the need for the US ambassador to make the clarification at this stage? Who asked him to do that?” He further said, “It should be probed that who motivated him to give that clarification”

Similarly, while directing the FBR Chairman to submit the details of the letter sent to his office by the American envoy, who denied reports that any containers carrying supplies for NATO and US forces in Afghanistan had gone missing in Pakistan, the CJP ItekharChoudhry said, “You should have taken him (to US ambassador) to Peshawar’s Karkhano market so he could see for himself that a big quantity of smuggled weapons are being sold openly. The whole country has many such markets now.

All these remarks clearly show that these people are of the view that US ambassador has told a lie and that the 19,000 NATO containers containing weapons really went missing and deliberately dumped in Karachi for the criminals.

Logically assuming, if they are right, it means that they must be having the sufficient concrete evidences and proofs in the support. Therefore, now it is the responsibility of the DG Rangers and other agencies to produce the relevant evidences in order to prove the US/NATO culprit of maliciously dumping their weapons in Karachi for promoting violence. It is also the responsibility of the CJP IftekharChoudhry to lead the case so as to bring the culprit (US and NATO) to justice if they are involved in it. However, if they fail to prove so, all the initiators and propagators of the 19,000 NATO containers` story, should immediately be sacked and be tried under the Articles 62 63 on big lie against a one political party which is representing more than 80% people of Karachi.

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