PM directs authorities to curb smuggling of sugar, petroleum products

Islamabad: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Friday strictly instructed the Customs authorities and law enforcement agencies to curb smuggling of sugar, petroleum products, urea, agri produce and other goods from the country.

He was chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Friday regarding smuggling control in border areas.

The Prime Minister was briefed about measures taken to control smuggling of various goods in the country, especially along the border areas.

The meeting was informed that ten additional check-posts of law enforcement agencies have been notified to check smuggling in Balochistan.

On the occasion, the Prime Minister sought an intra-agency report of government officers involved in smuggling in Balochistan. He said the officers involved in smuggling should be given exemplary punishment in addition to effective disciplinary action against them.

The Prime Minister was also told that forty percent decrease in smuggling has been witnessed due to tireless efforts of the law enforcement agencies.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said smuggling of petroleum products leads to reduction in revenue collection, along with burdening the foreign exchange reserves of the country. He said he will personally review the weekly meeting of different agencies' performance in curbing the menace of smuggling.

The Prime Minister instructed to make markets along Pak-Iran border more operational for ensuring documentation of the trade. He said curbing smuggling from the country has become inevitable as it inflicts a loss of billions of rupees on the overall economy.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, the caretaker Prime Minister said smuggling is a major cause of country's economic challenges.

The Prime Minister said several other issues including tax evasion and hike in dollar price are also associated with smuggling.