Cargo scanning systems in Karachi ordered: Irked by cross-border smuggling, PM orders action

ISLAMABAD: Unnerved to the core by the plaguing menace of corrupting foul play that has rotten the very socioeconomic fabric of this country in all tainted projections, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has now woken up to hand a crushing kick in the teeth of cross-border smuggling, the mother of all the eventually devilish evils.

A visibly perturbed prime minister, while chairing a review meeting regarding transit cargo and tracking system, directed the authorities on Friday to promptly install state-of-the-art cargo scanning systems in Karachi and other vital trading centers, to combat rampant smuggling particularly against people who are behind the whole racket.

“The old systems of tracking, tracing and scanning in the trading hubs must be replaced with the new systems equipped with modern technology,” he declared.

PM asks FBR, others to deal with smuggling challenge effectively

The prime minister also issued directives to ensure the third party validation of quality of the cargo tracking services providing entities, highlighting that the enhancement of the tracking system has led to a substantial decrease in smuggling activities.

He said that as a result of measures taken by the government to stop smuggling, sugar export worth US$211 million to Afghanistan became possible.

He pointed out that Pakistan would become centre of transit trade for other regional countries due to an integrated communication system and improved cargo tracking.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Economic Affairs Division Ahad Khan Cheema, chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and senior government officials.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025