KARACHI, Jan 19: The Pakistan Customs will celebrate International Customs Day on Jan 26 - the day on which the first session of the Customs Cooperation Council, now known as World Customs Organization (WCO), was held in 1953 at Brussles.

The theme of the day for this year is the "Role of Customs in the protection of society". "The role of Pakistan Customs in the protection of the interests of nation in particular and global community in general need no explanation," said Additional Collector (Preventive) Customs Headquarters, Dr Zulfikar Ahmed Malik while highlighting the salient features of Jan 26 programmes at a press briefing here on Monday.

He said the Pakistan Customs was the first non-European country that joined the inter-governmental organization, World Customs Organization in 1956.

Additional Collector (Preventive) said that the Pakistan Customs had been serving the country by ensuring that it was saved from all perils that could attempt to cross its borders. These might be in the form of terrorist equipment or the hazardous nuclear or chemical waste etc, he said. Threat to indigenous flora or fauna by foreign infections and ailments also came in this category, he added.

Moreover, he said the Pakistan Customs thwarted the attempts aimed at tarnishing the image of the country when the narcotics were seized before crossing the national boundaries.

In Karachi, Dr Zulfikar said, the day-long activities would commence with flag hoisting and march past. The Member (Customs) would take the salute, which would be followed by distribution of certificates among the officers and staff, who had played a significant role in enforcing the Customs Laws.

He said an exhibition of photos and Customs paraphernalia would also be organized at the third floor of Custom House while a seminar on the "Role of customs in protection of society" would be the main feature of the day.

Other programmes would include a "Bara Khana" at the Customs House and a friendy hockey match at the Hocky Club of Pakistan. The Custom House building would be profusely illuminated during the night, he added.

Dr Zulfikar mentioned that the Collectorate of Customs (Preventive) made a record 175 seizures and arrested 171 accused alongwith a large qantity of contraband drugs and other smuggled goods during the last year.

Giving comparative figures, he said that during 2003, the Customs officials recovered and seized 158.764kg heroin, 231.61kg charas and 2.92kg opium. As against this, the Customs staff had recovered and seized 49.715kg heroin, 3.25kg charas and 0.19kg opium in 54 seizures during the year 2002.

He pointed out that anti-smuggling staff of this collectorate also seized the smuggled goods and vehicles worth millions of rupees during the year 2003. During the briefing, he was accompanied by Deputy Collector (Preventive) Customs Basit Maqsood Abbasi. -APP/PPI