پرامن پاکستان: معاشی ترقی کے لیے ضروری

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, a high-level meeting was held yesterday, where various measures to combat smuggling were proposed. According to media reports, during this meeting, detailed briefings were given on issues such as smuggling, misuse of Afghan transit trade, narcotics, illicit arms smuggling, and internal trafficking in Pakistan. The report of the investigation committee headed by AD Khawaja on Afghan transit trade was also presented in the meeting, with detailed briefings given to the Prime Minister and other participants on the matter. It was stated in the briefings that after consultations with all stakeholders, the national anti-smuggling strategy is in its final stages and will soon be presented for approval. The briefing highlighted the government’s commitment to combat smuggling by accelerating the national campaign, immediately removing officials implicated in facilitating smuggling, taking administrative action, promoting cooperation between all relevant organizations, ensuring exemplary punishment for smugglers and individuals involved in narcotics trade, essential legislation on the matter, and completely eradicating Chinese smuggling. The Prime Minister emphasized that those involved in embezzling the country’s money and their facilitators will not be granted any leniency.
Furthermore, efforts to crackdown on smuggling in Balochistan were also discussed, with a recent raid on a warehouse in Mastung resulting in the confiscation of smuggled goods worth over 10 billion rupees. The Prime Minister directed the law enforcement agencies to intensify their efforts to combat smuggling in light of this incident. It is important to note that these high-level meetings on combating smuggling are a common occurrence during every government’s tenure, where announcements are made regarding measures to curb illegal activities. However, the effectiveness of these measures often depends on sustained follow-up and implementation. Until then, the country’s economy will continue to face challenges posed by such illicit activities.