A passenger from Australia who is of Pakistani descent has complained to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about the closure of Green Channel at the Karachi airport by customs officers for foreign travelers.
The Australian woman complained about having to wait for hours at the customs desk due to the Green Channel closure in a letter to the Prime Minister.
But a customs official, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed that the foreign passenger’s luggage was examined for any signs of suspicion.
There are two lanes for customs clearance: the Red Channel and the Green Channel, according to sources at the Karachi airport. The Red Channel is used by passengers carrying limited or dutiable goods, whereas the Green Channel is used by passengers carrying no dutiable products.
She informed the customs officers that, per the prime minister’s directive, the Green Channel service was accessible at all airports.
She addressed the Prime Minister, “The customs officials did not give a reasonable answer to my question,” and she insisted that the customs inspector and collector be fired.
The claim that the Green Channel had been closed was untrue, according to Customs Collector Shafiq Latki. He explained that because the woman was transferred to the Red Channel, bags belonging to foreign passengers are subject to inspection based on suspicion.
Moreover, he said that there was no directive from the Prime Minister to transfer Pakistanis living abroad via the Green Channel.
