Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has unveiled a new initiative during a press conference in Islamabad, pledging to offer financial rewards to citizens who provide crucial information concerning smuggling, hoarding, and illegal immigrants.
This proactive move seeks to address issues that have been adversely impacting Pakistan’s economy and national security.
Bugti stated, “We are announcing prize money for those people who become our informants and report incidents of smuggling and hoarding, including the hoarding of dollars.”
The Minister emphasized the importance of public involvement in identifying and curbing these illegal activities.
Additionally, the initiative extends to combating illegal immigration, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) taking the lead.
Individuals who provide valuable information related to undocumented immigrants residing in Pakistan will also be eligible for rewards.
To facilitate citizen participation, Bugti announced plans to establish a toll-free hotline accessible through both the FIA and the interior ministry. This hotline will enable any Pakistani citizen to report information that could assist the government in its efforts to combat these issues effectively.
Minister Bugti acknowledged the government’s significant successes in curbing smuggling, including the illicit trade in the US dollar. However, he noted that due to these successes, culprits had turned to hoarding and artificially inflating prices of essential commodities such as wheat and sugar. To address this, a crackdown against hoarders is already underway.
Bugti further emphasized the government’s commitment to eradicating these illegal activities, stating, “The entire cabinet and government have decided that all our institutions and provincial governments will take a stringent approach against these evils of smuggling and hoarding.”
The announcement comes in the wake of caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s recent initiation of an operation to combat cross-border smuggling across the country. While specific details of the crackdown were not disclosed, Kakar stated, “The crackdowns carried out during the last 48 hours against smuggling have yielded positive results.”
The government’s action is in response to mounting pressure to curb smuggling, which has contributed to steep price hikes in essential goods. Notably, sugar prices surged to record levels in various parts of the country due to smuggling, with reports suggesting that almost a million tonnes of sugar had crossed the border into Afghanistan over the past year.
Meanwhile, FIA Punjab Director Sarfraz Virk reported enhanced efforts to combat foreign currency smuggling to Afghanistan. Surveillance at airports was intensified to prevent carriers from exceeding prescribed limits when transporting foreign currency abroad.
