ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-Haq Kakar directed Customs authorities and law enforcement agencies to strictly curb smuggling of sugar, petroleum products, urea, agricultural products and other items.

Chairing high-level meeting for stopping smuggling he was briefed on situation of smuggling of different items across country especially in border areas and about steps taken for stopping menace.

Meeting was told that ten additional check posts of law enforcement agencies were notified to curb smuggling in Balochistan.

He instructed that an inter-agency report should be prepared about officers involved in smuggling in province. He directed strong departmental action against officers involved in smuggling in Balochistan and award of exemplary punishment to them.

He said smuggling of petroleum products was reducing revenue and putting pressure on country's foreign exchange reserves.

He said he would chair weekly meeting to review the performance of institutions and to curb menace of smuggling. He ordered that border markets with Iran should be made more viable so that trade could be done with proper documents.

Caretaker ministers for trade Gohar Ejaz, Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti, petroleum Muhammad Ali, Advisor to PM Ahmed Cheema, secretaries Chairman Federal Board of Revenue and high level officers of law enforcement agencies attended meeting. Provincial chief secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and Inspector General Police attended meeting through video link.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 02 2023

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.