PM Kakar calls for enhanced surveillance to curb smuggling

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister (PM) Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Tuesday directed the custom authorities to establish a monitoring system at irregular border crossings to prevent smuggling in the country, ARY News reported.  

The prime minister issued the directives while chairing a meeting, wherein he was given detailed briefing by the ministry of commerce.

The meeting discussed several measures to discourage smuggling and promote trade through legal channels in the country.

PM Kakar was informed about various proposed plans to expand the country’s exports’ volume besides possible steps to curb smuggling in the country.

Various aspects of trade under the Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement were also reviewed in the briefing. The meeting presented the recommendation to improve better scanning and monitoring capacities of the traded goods.

Earlier, Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar directed the customs authorities and law enforcement agencies to strictly curb the smuggling of sugar, petroleum products, urea, agricultural products and other items.

During a meeting, PM Kakar was briefed on the situation of smuggling of different items across the country, especially in the border areas, and about the steps taken for stopping the menace.

The meeting was told that 10 additional check posts of law enforcement agencies were notified to curb smuggling in Balochistan.

The caretaker prime minister instructed that an inter agency report should be prepared about the officers involved in this act in the province.

He directed strong departmental action against the officers involved in smuggling in Balochistan and award of exemplary punishment to them.

The premier further said the smuggling of petroleum products was reducing revenue and putting pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.

PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar also said he would chair a weekly meeting to review the performance of institutions and to curb the menace of smuggling.