Article of Waqar Haider, Assistant Collector, Collectorate of Customs Appraisement (SAPT), Karachi on the occasion of International Customs Day 2026

When illicit goods cross borders, the harm they cause is rarely abstract. Narcotics tear apart families and communities, counterfeit and substandard medicines put patients’ lives at risk, and unsafe consumer products silently put lives at risk in homes, on roads, and in workplaces. These are the real threats behind the World Customs Organization’s theme for International Customs Day 2026, “Customs Protecting Society Through Vigilance and Commitment.” In Pakistan, the theme has moved beyond symbolism and is increasingly reflected in how Pakistan Customs operates on the ground.

Over the recent past, Pakistan Customs has been reshaping itself from a traditional border-control agency into a frontline public-safety institution. This transformation begins with a clear legal mandate. Under the Import Policy Order, 2020 Customs is empowered to prevent the entry of prohibited and restricted goods that threaten public health, safety, and national interests. The framework is deliberately outcome-focused: prohibited goods are not meant to be absorbed into the market but are required to be re-exported at the importer’s or shipping line’s cost. Where restricted goods, such as short shelf-life medicines, pharmaceutical raw materials, or edible products imported in violation pose direct risks, the law provides for their destruction within prescribed timelines. Through enforcement of the Export Policy Order, 2020 Pakistan Customs regulates and restrains the export of prohibited, restricted, and sub-standard goods, recognizing that contraband and unsafe exports can cause equal harm to the societies of importing countries. In this sense, Customs acts not only as a national regulator but as a responsible partner in protecting international society and the integrity of global trade. The objective is not merely to document violations, but to ensure that harmful goods never reach consumers.

Customs vigilance has shifted from isolated interdictions to system based controls of cargo movement, recognizing that many risks emerge after goods enter inland transport networks. Accurate tariff classification, correct customs valuation, and verification of origin are not merely technical exercises; they are essential filters that protect society. Misclassification can allow hazardous goods to evade regulatory controls, undervaluation can distort markets and deprive the state of revenue, and false origin claims can undermine trade regulation and fair competition. Data driven risk management systems, advance information, and automated selectivity allow Customs to focus appraisement resources on higher-risk consignments while facilitating compliant trade. 

Reforms such as Faceless Customs Assessment have had significance beyond trade facilitation. By reducing physical interaction, standardizing digital workflows, and centralizing assessment decisions, the reform has narrowed discretionary space and strengthened accountability. Reported outcomes show a sharp reduction in average clearance time, from 109 hours to around 18 hours, and a 31% decline in assessment time. Since 16 December 2024, goods declarations processed through the system increased from about 48,000 to 52,000, with reform narratives citing additional revenue outcomes of approximately Rs 61 billion. Integrity and speed are closely linked: when decisions are consistent and auditable, there are fewer gaps for unsafe goods to be waved through. A fragmented, paper-based system cannot protect society consistently because it lacks visibility across agencies and borders. 

Pakistan Customs’ digitization drive, anchored in the Pakistan Single Window, has fundamentally changed this landscape. By 30 June 2025, the platform had integrated 23 government agencies, enrolled over 93,000 subscribers, digitized 173 business processes eliminating 104 altogether and processed around 1.25 million trade declarations and 797,000 licenses, permits, and certificates during FY 2024–25. These figures reflect a national system where data-driven controls make anomalies easier to detect and fraudulent paperwork harder to conceal, allowing enforcement attention to focus on high-risk movements that threaten public safety.

There is also a fiscal dimension to this protective role. Strong Customs revenue supports public services and discourages the shadow economy that often accompanies illicit and unsafe trade. In FY 2024–25, Pakistan Customs collected approximately Rs 1,284.6 billion (about Rs 1.28 trillion) in customs duties, representing an increase of around 16.4% over the previous year. This growth reflects improved compliance, strengthened risk management, and tighter border governance, all of which reinforce both economic stability and societal protection.

Taken together, these developments show how the WCO theme “Customs Protecting Society through Vigilance and Commitment” translates into everyday public value. Vigilance is visible in framing contraventions over violation of IPO and disrupted supply chains. Commitment is reflected in cleaner, more predictable clearance systems that are harder to bypass. Innovation ensures that both can be sustained across a growing volume of trade through technology-led enforcement and digitization.

As International Customs Day 2026 approaches, Pakistan Customs’ rich experience sends a clear message: protecting society is not only about stopping goods at the border, it is about ensuring that what crosses into the country is safe, lawful, and accountable. In an increasingly interconnected world, the role of Customs as guardians at the gate has never been more vital.

SOURCE: Taxhelpline Team