The Senate Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, held a meeting at Parliament House where it was revealed that smugglers are bringing in 25-30 million liters of oil into Pakistan every day.
These smugglers reportedly earn around Rs. 10-12 billion per month through smuggling activities in at least five districts of Balochistan. The committee members raised concerns about harassment of businesses and discussed raids conducted against traders in Karachi and Lahore.
They also criticized the under-declaration of goods by traders and the lack of cases filed against them. FBR Chairman Asim Ahmad denied reports of harassment against Pashtun businessmen and stated that anti-smuggling operations have led to the seizure of many items at Karachi’s Bolton Market.
Senator Farooq Naek inquired about the smuggling of US Dollars to Afghanistan, while another member called for more stringent management of cross-border channels to control the flow of goods.
Minister of State for Finance Aisha Ghaus Pasha acknowledged the facilitation of large-scale smuggling in the country and highlighted the steps taken by the Prime Minister to combat it. The committee also discussed the tax evasion notices sent to business persons and were informed that the Tax Tribunal had ordered to close the matter on priority.
