ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti has said that any personnel of security forces found involved in cross-border smuggling would face court-martial.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday, the minister said that the government has intensified its crackdown against smugglers involved in transporting commodities and dollars to Afghanistan, particularly in the last few months even at a time when the country was passing through its hard days.
Bugti said that the crackdown bore some good results as the local currency recovered significantly against the American Dollar to become the best-performing currency globally.
“If I say that security forces weren’t involved in [smuggling], it won’t be right as the [smuggled] items are transported via trucks, not camels,” the minister said.
He informed that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir had told military personnel very clearly that whoever was found involved in illegal cross-border trade would face the music and would be sent to jail.
Sarfaraz Bugti further said the mechanism of accountability in the army was not made public and that’s why it was not in the knowledge of the masses, however adding that the army has its own accountability system.
The caretaker interior minister further said that the government was taking action against smugglers and hoarders. He also appreciated the law enforcers for their part in the crackdown on those involved in illegal activities. He said that the state would deal with “hawala, hundi, and other illegal activities with an iron fist,” adding that the government strongly discouraged the usage of hawala and hundi, whereas 168 FIRs have been registered against people involved in the illegal trade of dollars.
The minister said that the government had recovered 8,000 metric tonnes of sugar, and action was also being taken against petrol pump stations for selling sub-standard fuel.
#Live: Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting @murtazasolangi and Caretaker Interior Minister @PakSarfrazbugti addressing a news conference in Islamabad@MoIB_Official #News #RadioPakistan #BreakingNews https://t.co/g51kKx6fIP
— Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) October 2, 2023
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