- Orders countrywide crackdown to check smuggling of food items and other goods
ISLAMABAD, February 18: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday while directing to formulize a comprehensive roadmap to reduce prices of petroleum products as much as possible, said that the government cannot become a silent spectator over issues of the general public.
He said this while presiding over a meeting to reduce petrol and gas prices.
Minister for Energy Umer Ayub, Minister for Planning Development and Reforms Asad Umar, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar, Special Assistant Shahzad Qasim, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Secretary Petroleum Mian Asad and other senior officers attended the meeting.
On the other hand, PM Imran, in a major decision to check smuggling of food items and other goods, ordered to immediately launch an anti-smuggling crackdown across the country on a large scale.
The prime minister directed the Ministry of Interior, federal and provincial law enforcing institutions, FBR and the 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 to start taking short-term, medium-term and long-term measures while keeping in view the recommendations of the task force constituted to check smuggling. Intelligence Bureau (IB), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Federal Investigative 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, Prime Minister Imran Khan also directed to speed up the pace of progress on the establishment of border markets in Balochistan.
The prime minister 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, no negligence would be tolerated in that respect.
The prime minister further directed to formulate a comprehensive policy regarding the Iranian petroleum products. Technology should be utilized in curbing the smuggling, he added.
Meanwhile, for providing the poor with relief, Prime Minister Imran Khan also ordered strict and speedy crackdown against profiteers and hoarders “who are responsible for spike in the prices of essential food items and creating artificial inflation.” The premier further directed the concerned authorities to review prices of essential food items, and reduce the prices by 15 to 20 percent.-Agencies
