By 
ISLAMABAD:
In light of the lack of funds, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar presided over an inter-ministerial follow-up meeting on anti-smuggling measures on Friday. He also gave the go-ahead for officials to speed up the inquiry.
The country’s economic progress is hampered by the cross-border smuggling of valuables, including foreign cash, according to the finance minister.
Azam Nazeer Tarar, the minister for law and justice, Tariq Bajwa, Tariq Pasha, the SBP governor, secretary of finance, secretary of the interior, director general of customs, member of customs, ADG FIA, and top officers from the finance division all attended the meeting, according to a statement.
The customs, law enforcement, and intelligence services informed the audience that strong and diligent operations had been started against the unlawful cross-border movement of foreign cash, urea, wheat, and other products.
It was disclosed that these stringent measures had resulted in the confiscation of significant amounts of foreign cash and other valuables at different sites between December 9 and December 15, 2022.
The meeting was updated on the progress made by the representatives of Pakistan Customs, the FIA, and the interior ministry, who also offered workable solutions to the smuggling problem.
Dar emphasized the need for collaboration among all relevant authorities and instructed them to take comprehensive and coordinated action against individuals involved in smuggling and currency speculation.The finance minister instructed authorities to increase their efforts to combat cross-border smuggling. It was also determined that a weekly review meeting on anti-smuggling activities would be convened.
Finally, the participants thanked the finance minister for taking necessary and proactive actions to address the present economic crisis and assured him of their support for smooth and sustainable economic growth.
