Shehbaz orders end to unnecessary questioning of air passengers by customs officials

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed the immediate installation of smart scanners at all international airports in the country to facilitate passengers and replace outdated baggage-screening procedures.

Chairing a meeting to review the customs system, the prime minister instructed authorities to bring in automated screening systems used internationally, saying passengers should not face unnecessary questioning by customs officials.

He directed that the scanners be brought to Pakistan by air and installed at all international airports without delay.

“The comfort and convenience of passengers is our top priority, and no one will be allowed to harass them,” the prime minister said, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

He also ordered international-standard training for staff providing services at airports, directing that courtesy and respect for passengers be made key components of their training.

Shehbaz praised the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman and his team for introducing a new customs enforcement system. He called for all possible measures to prevent revenue losses through tax evasion and said businesses that paid taxes deserved respect, while those evading taxes would face a zero-tolerance policy.

During the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on the movement of goods and customs monitoring at airports, seaports and other locations, as well as measures to curb petroleum smuggling.

The meeting was informed that the establishment and operationalisation of digital enforcement stations had made significant progress.

The Indus Collectorate (Enforcement) had seized goods worth around Rs205 million in 80 operations during its first three weeks, officials said. A total of 865 personnel had been deployed, covering 26 key routes.

Enforcement operations were also under way against smuggled cloth, vehicles, cigarettes, high-speed diesel, auto parts and other goods, the meeting was told.

Officials said the recruitment of 280 goods evaluators had been completed as part of customs reforms, with their training scheduled for October and November 2026.

The meeting was also briefed on FBR reforms aimed at consolidating customs enforcement into an integrated nationwide organisation to prevent smuggling.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Azam Nazeer Tarar, Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, lawmakers Usman Owaisi and Rana Iradat Sharif Khan, and senior officials attended the meeting.