Smuggling of essential commodities issue of food, national security: Sana

F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan on Friday said smuggling of essential commodities out of the country was not only a matter of the nation’s food security but also of national security.
Minister for Interior and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif presided over the third meeting of the committee formed by the Prime Minister on the prevention of smuggling of wheat, sugar, fertilizer, and other essential items, a news release said. Minister for Commerce Syed Naveed Qamar, Industries Minister Makhdoom Murtaza Mehmood, Special Assistant for Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha, Interior Secretary Syed Ali Murtaza, Chairman Federal Board of Revenue Asif Ahmed and representatives of federal and provincial institutions also attended the meeting.
Rana Sanaullah said all necessary steps would be taken in order to avoid the shortage of essential commodities in the country. The Defence Minister said, “This is a serious problem and the government will have to take every possible step to counter the problem.”
“We have to take tough decisions to prevent this,” he added. The meeting approved the establishment of joint check posts comprising police, customs, and other law enforcement agencies. Interior Secretary briefed the participants on the progress made on the decisions taken in the previous meetings.
It was also briefed that joint patrolling would also be started soon. A central data cell was established in FBR regarding the smuggling of essential commodities. A survey had been started in order to prevent unnecessary supply in these districts. Moreover, amendments were also being initiated in the laws to effectively prevent the smuggling of essential goods, the Forum was told.