ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed for a large-scale crackdown on smuggling of edibles and other commodities and asked the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to present related monitoring report to him regularly.
The prime minister asked the Ministry of Interior, law-enforcement agencies of the federal government and provincial governments and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to collectively take action against the menace of smuggling. He directed the Ministry of Interior to present a report within 48 hours about the related measures and a comprehensive strategy on the matter.
He emphasised that keeping in view the recommendations of the task force, formed to combat smuggling, short-term, medium-term and long-term measures should be initiated.
The decision was taken here at a high-level meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan and participated by Minister for National Food Security Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Adviser on Commerce and Trade Abdul Razak Dawood, Secretary Interior, secretary National Food Security, acting chairman FBR and provincial home secretaries and other senior officials.
The meeting took stock of the demand and supply of essential commodities and their prices with particular reference to their smuggling.
The report on progress so far made on establishment of markets at the western border was also presented at the meeting.
The prime minister directed for accelerating the pace of establishment of markets. Imran Khan observed that because of smuggling of food items, the common man was facing difficulties and this was in no way acceptable.