Essential commodities: Paramilitary forces empowered to exercise anti-smuggling powers

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has empowered Pakistan Rangers/Frontier Corps of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to exercise anti-smuggling powers at Inter-Provincial Joint Check-Posts (IPJCPs) for prevention of smuggling of essential commodities.

The FBR has issued SRO.521(I)/2023 Wednes-day to amend No. S.R.O. 901(1)/2023 relating to the anti-smuggling powers to law enforcement agencies.

The Inter-Provincial Joint Check-Posts (IPJCPs) and joint checkpoints have been notified to enforce laws against smuggling and hoarding concerning essential commodities like sugar, urea, wheat, and wheat flour.

‘Massive’ crackdown on hoarders, smugglers announced

Now, the Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Corps can exercise anti-smuggling powers at the IPJCPs with customs officials posted at these check posts.

The IPJCPs and JCPs of the customs department as well as Pakistan Rangers/Frontier Corps would curb the smuggling of essential and other prone commodities within and outside Pakistan from November 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

The new notification revealed the FBR has entrusted to the officers of the Pakistan Rangers, Frontier Corps Balochistan (North/South) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North/ South) for smuggled goods, other than notified essential commodities, the functions shall be performed within fifty kilometers of the International borders and at Inter-Provincial Joint Check Posts (IPJCPs) and Joint Check Posts (JCPs) as notified by the Ministry of Interior.

However, they cannot exercise powers in the city municipal limits, customs areas, customs stations, ports, borders customs stations, international airports, and bonded warehouses, etc.

The FBR has also empowered the officers of the Pakistan Rangers, Frontier Corps [Balochistan (North/South) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North/ South) to exercise anti-smuggling powers for prevention of smuggling of essential commodities in the bordering districts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adjoining Afghanistan including within city municipal limits, and at Inter-Provincial Joint Check Posts (IPJCPs) and Joint Check Posts (JCPs) as notified by the Ministry of Interior.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023