Imran orders anti-smuggling crackdown

AFP Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a major decision to check smuggling of food items and other goods, ordered on Tuesday to immediately launch an anti-smuggling crackdown across the country on a large scale.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister here about curbing the smuggling of food items and other goods. Khan directed the interior ministry, federal and provincial law enforcing institutions, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and provincial governments to immediately launch a joint anti-smuggling operation.

He ordered the Ministry of Interior to present him within the next 48 hours a report based on the actions being taken along with a comprehensive strategy. The Prime Minister directed that short-term, medium-term and long-term measures should be taken while keeping in view the recommendations of the task force constituted to check smuggling.

Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) were also directed to present monitoring reports of the effective anti-smuggling crackdown, to the Prime Minister on regular basis.

As the report of progress on the establishment of border markets along the western frontiers was presented during the meeting, the Prime Minister asked that the pace of progress on the establishment of border markets in Balochistan should be stepped up.

Khan said the smuggling of food items, which caused price-hike and difficulties for the common man, was totally unacceptable. He said as effective control of smuggling, which was causing billions of rupees losses to the country’s economy, was a matter of national interest, and no negligence would be tolerated in that respect.

He called for formulating a comprehensive policy regarding the Iranian petroleum products. Technology should be utilised to curb smuggling, he stressed.

Later, the Prime Minister chaired another high-level meeting to consider options for reducing prices of petrol and gas, PM Office media wing said in a press release. The Prime Minister emphasised the need for considering every feasible option to provide relief to the masses by bringing down prices of petrol and gas. He said the government’s main objective was to extend maximum possible relief to low-income group.

He advised his special assistant on petroleum to immediately formulate a comprehensive roadmap with possibility to bringing down the prices of petrol, diesel and gas. Workable recommendations in this regard should be submitted at the earliest so that the same could be considered for implementation, he added.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister said the government was aware of the problems being faced by the low-income group and the salaried class, and it was striving to cut the prices of power and gas to maximum level, so that those groups could be given relief.

Referring to irrational long-term agreements by the previous rulers by burdening the people, he said despite all the factors, the government could not remain silent and every option should be explored for provision of maximum relief.

During the meeting, PM’s Special Assistant on Petroleum Nadeem Babar briefed the Prime Minister in detail over the price mechanism of petrol, diesel and gas sector, global factors, previous agreements by the former governments, stability in prices, prospects to reduce prices and recommendations in this regard.