Pakistan Customs has ordered a comprehensive audit of pay orders submitted at Azakhel Dry Port over the past two years after alleged fake pay orders surfaced during an audit, according to sources.

Chief Collector of Customs Appraisement Peshawar Abdul Waheed Marwat has directed officials to examine all pay orders submitted during the period, along with the related transactions, sources said.

The alleged irregularities involve companies operating as industrial units in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA), which had reportedly submitted pay orders to claim sales tax exemptions.

Three first information reports (FIRs) have been registered after alleged fake pay orders were identified during the audit, according to sources. Customs officials responsible for the relevant matters have also been named in the cases alongside the companies.

The latest directive calls for a detailed review of all pay orders submitted over the last two years and the transactions associated with them. The audit is expected to examine the documents and establish the extent of the alleged irregularities.

The allegations have not been established as proven, and the audit is expected to help determine the facts surrounding the suspected fraud.