ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar issued instructions to law enforcement agencies and customs officials on Friday to curb the smuggling of essential goods like sugar, urea, petroleum products, and agricultural products.
The premier was chairing a high-level meeting dedicated to curbing smuggling activities in the country. During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on the current smuggling situation, particularly along the border regions, and the steps taken to curb the issue.
To combat smuggling, the meeting was informed that 10 more checkpoints for law enforcement agencies had been set up in Balochistan.
PM to Take Action Against Officers Involved in Smuggling
Prime Minister Kakar ordered the preparation of an inter-agency report regarding officers involved in smuggling within the province. He emphasized the importance of taking strong departmental actions against such officers and ensuring exemplary punishment for their wrongdoing.
پاکستان کی معاشی مشکلات کی ایک بڑی وجہ سمگلنگ بھی ہے۔ tax چوری اور ڈالر کی بڑھتی ہوئی قیمت سمیت بہت سے مسائل سمگلنگ سے جڑے ہوئے ہیں۔ آج میں نے سمگلنگ روکنے اور اس میں ملوث حکام کے خلاف سخت ترین کاروائی کرنےکا حکم دیا ہے۔
— Anwaar ul Haq Kakar (@anwaar_kakar) September 1, 2023
He highlighted that the smuggling of petroleum products was detrimental to revenue and added pressure to the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
The Prime Minister announced his intention to chair weekly meetings to assess institutional performance and tackle the smuggling menace. He also called for improvements in border markets with Iran to facilitate legitimate trade with proper documentation.
Smuggling was recognized as a significant economic drain, costing the national economy billions of rupees. The Prime Minister was informed that law enforcement institutions’ tireless efforts had already led to a 40 percent reduction in smuggling.
The meeting was attended by several high-ranking officials, including Caretaker Federal Minister for Trade Gohar Ejaz, Minister for Petroleum Muhammad Ali, Advisor to the PM Ahmed Cheema, Minister for Interior Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, federal secretaries, and Provincial chief secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
