Government vowed strict action against smuggling of essential items: Rana Sanaullah

Islamabad: (Staff Reporter) The government vowed to take strict action against those elements involved in the smuggling of essential items and to make the border control system more active and monitor inter-provincial transportation.

According to the source, these decisions were taken in the meeting, co-chaired by Federal Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan and Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif, which reviewed the measures regarding the prevention of smuggling of wheat, sugar, fertilizer, and other essential items.

As per details Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister for National Food Security Tariq Bashir Cheema, Minister for Industries Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Interior Secretary Ali Murtaza, and Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Asif Ahmed and representatives of federal and provincial institutions also attended the meeting.

Furthermore Rana Sanaullah reiterated the government’s resolve to take strict action against elements involved in smuggling and their facilitators. He directed to ensure the implementation of a track and trace system on essential items so that the elements involved in the smuggling of these items can be checked.

Moreover he instructed to prevent the excessive supply of essential commodities in the border districts and take action against those involved in the excessive stocking. The minister said “strict action would be taken against officers and staff involved in smuggling. For this purpose, he stressed the need for launching joint operations and intelligence sharing of the institutions. The smuggling of essential commodities out of the country needed an emergent step to control it. He asked representatives of institutions to ensure strict action against those involved in this illegal activity as well as their facilitators.”

Meanwhile he said that “the implementation of joint check posts and joint patrolling should be ensured as soon as possible. There was a need to make the border control system more active and monitor inter-provincial transportation to check the smuggling of essential commodities. Measures would have to be taken to stop smuggling from its point of origin to its en-route along with border areas.”

He said there was a need for amendments in the laws and the Ministry of Law and Federal Board of Revenue should quickly complete the task of legislation in this regard. The meeting also reviewed the progress on the decisions taken in the previous meeting.