ISLAMABAD: Pakistani authorities on Friday impounded a truck carrying a huge arms cache coming from Afghanistan via Torkham border, an anti-narcotics official said on Sunday.
The illicit crossing over of arms, drugs and other illegal materials at Torkham, the major border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, is not uncommon.
In January this year, hundreds of weapons were seized concealed inside a coal truck entering Pakistan from Afghanistan. In June last year, Afghan forces seized a huge bomb-making cache in the back of a vegetable truck crossing over from Pakistan.
“While passing through the transit scanners, the truck coming from Afghanistan was found suspicious on Friday. A thorough search of the truck led the customs department, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and other security officials to recover 207 weapons of different brands including Tomahawk and Maverick guns with Turkish made seals,” Raffaqat Hussain, a sub-inspector of the ANF, told Arab News at the busy Pak-Afghan Torkham border in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
However, the arms smugglers inside the truck, including the driver of the vehicle, managed to flee after the truck was seized. A passport belonging to the driver was found on the dashboard of the vehicle, Hussain said. He added that the weapons were masterfully concealed inside the truck’s hidden cavities.
KP’s provincial Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai told Arab News that his government had ‘zero tolerance’ for banned items including arms and narcotics to and from Afghanistan.
“Yes, a truck carrying arms from Afghanistan has been impounded but investigations are in initial process and its findings cannot be made public at this point,” Yousafzai said.
“The officials concerned suspect an organized group behind the botched arms’ smuggling attempt. A looming threat of terror has been foiled but investigations are underway to reach to the depth of the issue,” he added.
Authorities said that a case had been lodged and all concerned departments from police to Khasadar and counter-terrorism forces, were involved in the investigation.
Yousafzai said Pakistan and Afghanistan shared a long porous border but provincial authorities had intensified efforts to discourage illegal business and smuggling along the border areas.
In July this year, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed all concerned departments to initiate a countrywide crackdown on smuggling, in an Islamabad meeting.
Also in that meeting, it was unanimously decided that a committee would be formed, to be headed by the interior minister, to systemize transit trade and curb smuggling at Pak-Afghan and Pak-Iran border areas.
Pakistan foils terror bid, seizes arms smuggled from Afghanistan
https://arab.news/rj7en
Pakistan foils terror bid, seizes arms smuggled from Afghanistan
- KP information minister says authorities suspect an organized group behind the smuggling
- 207 weapons of different brands were concealed in a truck crossing Torkham border to enter Pakistan
Pakistan sends vessels to Saudi, UAE ports to secure crude supplies amid regional crisis
- The development comes as countries scramble to secure energy supplies amid US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Tehran’s counterattacks
- If Islamabad arranges, Aramco has assured a large crude carrier can be loaded at Yanbu and stationed near Pakistan, minister says
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sent vessels to ports in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to secure crude oil supplies, the Pakistani petroleum minister said late Friday, as tensions in the Middle East continue to threaten global energy flows.
Global oil markets have been rattled since the United States and Israeli began pounding Iran last week, prompting retaliatory strikes from Tehran across the region. The conflict has raised fears of disruptions in energy supplies, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz, and pushed petroleum prices.
Pakistani Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik and others said Islamabad was monitoring international energy markets and domestic supply conditions as they announced a hike of Rs55 ($0.20) per liter in petrol and diesel prices, promising to bring down the prices as soon as the conflict is resolved.
Describing the situation as “extraordinary,” Malik said they did not know how long the Middle East crisis would last and it was important to stretch Pakistan’s available petroleum reserves as much as they could to ensure a steady supply to consumers during the crisis.
“At the regional and global level, you can clearly see that countries are scrambling to secure energy supplies. Pakistan is also part of this effort because a significant portion of our energy supplies comes through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has engaged the Saudi government to secure alternative sources.
“With the help of the Foreign Office, two Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) vessels are currently on their way, one toward Yanbu port and the other toward Fujairah port, to bring crude oil from outside the Hormuz region in order to meet Pakistan’s energy needs.”
In addition, he said, Aramco had assured that if Pakistan arranged, a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) can be loaded at Yanbu and stationed near the Pakistani waters.
“From there, PNSC (Pakistan National Shipping Corporation) feeder vessels will ensure a continuous supply of crude oil to our refineries, so that even during this difficult phase Pakistan’s energy requirements continue to be met,” Malik shared.
The statement came as long queues of vehicles were seen outside petrol stations nationwide as Islamabad moved to raise petroleum prices to keep the supplies in check.
Pakistan, which relies heavily on imported fuel to meet its energy needs, is particularly vulnerable to global oil price shocks that can quickly feed into inflation and pressure the country’s external accounts.
Officials at Friday’s presser said Pakistan, which reviews petroleum prices fortnightly, will be considering them more frequently, potentially on a weekly basis, and any reduction in global oil prices would be passed on to consumers.
Finance Minister Aurangzeb said a high-level government committee formed by PM Sharif had been meeting daily to review developments in global petroleum markets and their potential impact on Pakistan’s economy.
“Pakistan currently maintains adequate energy stocks and macroeconomic stability,” Aurangzeb said, adding that the government’s response was based on preparedness rather than panic.
