KARACHI — Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Saturday demanded that Pakistan Customs immediately return a vehicle belonging to the provincial Information Department that was impounded earlier this week, and issue a written apology for the action .
The vehicle, a 2025 model white Hiace Hi-Roof, was seized by Customs officials on March 12 on the grounds that it was allegedly “non-custom duty paid” . In a post on social media platform X, Memon shared official documents and expressed strong resentment over the incident.
“Pakistan Customs Karachi confiscated a Sindh Government vehicle on 12 March, claiming it was non-custom paid. Despite being shown all official documents confirming that the vehicle belongs to the Information Department and was purchased through official outlets of Indus Motor Company, the vehicle was still taken into custody,” Memon stated in his post .
The minister, who also holds the information portfolio, shared the original stamped sales certificate issued by Indus Motor Company Limited on February 12, 2026, in Hyderabad. The documents confirmed that the vehicle had been sold to the Sukkur divisional director of the Sindh Information Department, with the total cost including taxes amounting to nearly Rs14 million .
Memon condemned the action, describing it as “incompetency and unacceptable behaviour” towards a provincial government department . “Such an attitude towards the Sindh government’s department is intolerable. The Sindh government cannot tolerate such incompetence and irresponsible conduct,” he said .
He further emphasized that the vehicle had been purchased through official channels and that all legal procedures were followed, leaving no justification for the confiscation .
Federal-Provincial Coordination Questioned
The incident has raised questions about coordination between federal and provincial institutions and the procedures followed in verifying official government vehicles . Memon stressed that government institutions must coordinate effectively to avoid misunderstandings that can create unnecessary controversy .
Pakistan Customs and other law enforcement agencies routinely scrutinize and seize non-customs paid (NCP) vehicles to combat illegal activities such as smuggling and drug trafficking . In a related context, the Excise Department had previously impounded vehicles being used by Customs officers in Karachi under Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s directives against NCP vehicles .
Memon demanded that Pakistan Customs immediately return the vehicle to the department and resolve the issue without further delay, while also calling for a written apology .
As of Saturday evening, there was no official response from Pakistan Customs regarding the situation .
