The federal government has approved a reward of Rs 84.809 million for Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) after a delay of 36 years for their role in the seizure of 25 kilograms of gold near Narowal in 1989, Business Recorder reported.
The decision was made after legal and procedural hurdles were cleared, with the reward amount based on the confiscated gold’s worth at the time of seizure, which amounted to Rs 565,396,780.
Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) had intercepted the gold shipment in Narowal on May 27, 1989, and deposited the proceeds in the public exchequer through the State Bank of Pakistan. The Rangers are entitled to 15% of the total amount, which is calculated at Rs 84.809 million.
The approval followed discussions involving the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Law & Justice, which clarified that the reward money would be disbursed under the Customs Reward Rules of 2012. This was after the amount realised from the confiscated gold in 2024, despite the original seizure occurring more than three decades ago.
The proposal for the reward was approved by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet after a thorough review. The committee was informed that delays in finalising the reward were caused by legal proceedings and procedural issues.
However, the Ministry of Interior and National Coordination (MoI&NC) assured that similar delays would not occur in the future, and that the reward would be paid promptly to the deserving personnel or their heirs.
The ECC also directed that the reward money should reach the rightful individuals listed in the seizure report or, in the case of deceased personnel, their heirs, in line with the customs reward rules.
