ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has directed the customs authorities and law enforcement agencies to strictly curb the smuggling of sugar, petroleum products, urea, agricultural products and other items.
Chairing a high-level meeting for stopping smuggling, the prime minister was briefed on the situation of smuggling of different items across the country, especially in the border areas, and about the steps taken to stop the menace.
The meeting was told that 10 additional check posts of law enforcement agencies were notified to curb smuggling in Balochistan.
The prime minister instructed that an inter-agency report should be prepared about the officers involved in smuggling in the province. He directed strong departmental action against the officers involved in smuggling in Balochistan and award exemplary punishment.
He said the smuggling of petroleum products was reducing revenue and putting pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
He said he would chair a weekly meeting to review the performance of institutions and to curb the menace of smuggling.
He ordered that the border markets with Iran should be made more viable so that trade could be done with proper documents.
He said smuggling was causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national economy and it was critical to end the problem of smuggling.
The prime minster was told that smuggling was reduced by 40 percent due to the untiring efforts of law enforcement institutions. He was apprised of the strategy of the law enforcement departments against smuggling.
