KARACHI: Former member of Customs, Ramzan Bhatti, on Wednesday submitted his fact finding report regarding smuggling of arms and ammunition as well as evasion of duty on different items at Karachi Port and Port Qasim.

Bhatti submitted his sealed report to the Supreme Court, Karachi Registry in compliance with the order passed on August 30 by the larger bench of the apex court in the case pertaining to law and order situation in Karachi.

Earlier on Tuesday, senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and former minister for ports and shipping Babar Ghauri filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking to become party in the case.

The controversy over the disappearance of thousands of containers surfaced after an inquiry into the matter was ordered by the court on a claim made by Director General of Sindh Rangers Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar that 19,000 containers had been stolen from the Karachi Port when Ghauri was the ports and shipping minister.

A Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, tasked the commission to ascertain:

(a) As to whether arms or ammunition are brought or smuggled through the sea and what are the possible measures and ways to be adopted to stop it.

(b) Who can be held responsible for the smuggling of arms and ammunition in the country through ships, vessels as well as launches and what are the reasons for not preventing the smuggling of the same.

(c) As to whether the Customs officials posted at the Ports of Bin Qasim and Karachi manage to recover hundred per cent customs duty and the revenue or there are certain mechanisms on the basis of which these duties are evaded, which cause loss to the public exchequer and ultimately such black money is used for illegal activities and promoting crimes in the country.