FCC orders fresh test of seized chemical

The chemical was seized by the Directorate of Customs Intellige­nce and Investigation, Lahore, in 2023. A three-member FCC bench, headed by Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and comprising Justice Rozi Khan Barrech and Justice Syed Arshad Hussain Shah, also indicated that if the fresh test confirmed the substance to be LAH, as claimed by the respondent, the seized goods should be released immediately. Senior counsel Wasim Sajjad and Idrees Ashraf represented the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation before the FCC, which is hearing an appeal against a Dec 12, 2023 judgement by the Lahore High Court. The LHC had held that the goods had already been assessed and that the petitioner department had “absolutely no authority to reassess the same”. During the hearing, the court expressed concern over the continued impounding of oil tankers carrying flammable substances for nearly three years. “Who will be responsible if someone’s cigarette ignites a fire?” Justice Rizvi asked, observing that keeping tankers loaded with volatile chemicals parked for such a prolonged period posed serious risks. Justice Rizvi also noted that the tanker drivers may have been rendered unemployed because of the lengthy seizure of the vehicles by Customs authorities. Sajjad argued, however, that the seized substance was petrol allegedly smuggled from Iran in oil tankers. Justice Barrech observed that blending chemicals with hydrocarbons to produce petrol had become a lucrative business. Earlier, the Directorate