News Detail
Event Title: Senator Saifullah Abro, Convener Sub-Committee of The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control presiding over a meeting of The Committee at Parliament House, Islamabad
Event Date: 2026-03-06
Senate Panel Seeks Accountability in Alleged Theft of 2,828 Cigarette Cartons from FBR Warehouses
Islamabad, March 6, 2026- The meeting of the Sub Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control today held at Parliament House, Islamabad. Senator Saifullah Abro chaired the meeting in presence of Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood.
The Senate Committee convened to review the case regarding the alleged theft of 2,828 cartons of cigarettes from the godowns of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) located in Swabi and Mardan. The Committee discussed the matter in detail and sought explanations from the concerned departments in order to fix responsibility and ensure recovery of the stolen goods.
At the outset, the Convener of the Committee expressed serious concern over the absence of the Director General, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and emphasized the importance of the presence of senior officials during Committee proceedings.
Member FBR briefed the Committee and informed that the matter had initially been reported as a case of theft and an FIR had been lodged with the concerned Police authorities. It was further explained that the Police later treated the matter as a case of misappropriation and referred it to the FIA for further investigation. The Convener questioned the mechanism/ authority under which the Police had referred the matter to the FIA.
The FBR representative clarified that it is generally perceived that such incidents must first be reported to the local Police Station before further legal proceedings are initiated. He also shared a notification outlining the mechanism for referring such cases to the FIA and assured the Committee that FBR would fully cooperate with FIA officials during the investigation. It was also informed that formal approval of the Board of Members is required before initiating proceedings with the FIA.
During the discussion, Senator Talha Mahmood suggested that the scope of the Committee’s inquiry should be expanded and highlighted another incidents of theft happened in April 2024, out of 1,262 cartons stored in a godown, 908 cartons had reportedly been stolen, yet no FIR had been lodged in that case. He further noted that such incidents had repeatedly occurred in areas falling under the jurisdiction of the Regional Tax Office (RTO) Peshawar and questioned why cigarette consignments appeared to be specifically targeted.
The FBR officials informed the Committee that an immediate FIR had been lodged in the present case and that the stolen cartons were reportedly recovered in May near Jahangira at Flow Petroleum. The Committee was further informed that CCTV cameras had been installed in all FBR godowns since 14 January 2026, and a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) had been introduced to improve monitoring and security arrangements. As part of disciplinary action, 10 officers of BS-16 and BS-17 had been suspended, while several officers suspected of having links with the business community had been transferred to other stations to dismantle any potential nexus.
The Committee also sought the record of all FBR godowns since 2012. It was informed that out of a total of 17 godowns, records from 11 had been submitted so far and a consolidated record will be submitted on priority basis.
Senator Talha Mahmood expressed concern that several industries had been established near the border areas around Sust, which might potentially be involved in smuggling activities, including precious metals or other sensitive materials. He pointed out that border crossings such as Torkham and Arandoo remain vulnerable to illegal activities and emphasized the need to strengthen border control measures in order to curb smuggling and counter terrorism.
The Convener observed that regions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan are particularly vulnerable to such activities and directed the FBR and Pakistan Customs to take concrete measures to effectively counter smuggling.
The Committee was also briefed in detail on the matter and the current status of the case by the DPO Swabi, DC Tobacco, and other officers of the relevant law enforcement agencies.
The Convener Committee observed that there appeared to be a lack of coordination between the KP Police and the FIA, which had affected the progress of the investigation. The Convener emphasized that the matter involves government property and national revenue, and therefore all concerned departments must make every possible effort to recover the stolen goods and coordinate effectively to identify those responsible.
The Committee directed that the Director General, FIA must take the matter seriously and ensure an expeditious investigation and disposal of the case.