ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday called for effective measures to make tracking of Afghan transit trade “fool proof,” saying smuggling was a major reason behind Pakistan’s economic woes. 

The directives were issued at a meeting presided over by PM Kakar in Islamabad with regard to the Afghan transit trade and the prevention of smuggling, according to the PM’s office. 

During the meeting, authorities briefed the prime minister about the steps taken by them to prevent the smuggling of goods into Pakistan from Afghanistan and Iran. 

“Effective measures should be taken to improve the tracking system and making it fool proof with regard to the Afghan transit trade,” PM Kakar directed officials at the meeting. 

He also directed them to immediately develop a strategy for the establishment of an integrated transit trade management system, according to the PM’s office. 

The prime minister said that disciplinary action should be taken against any official found involved in the smuggling of goods and that intelligence clearance be taken before the appointment of any officer to sensitive customs posts. 

Pakistan is trying to navigate a tricky path to economic recovery under a caretaker government in the wake of a $3-billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan program, approved in July, that helped avert a sovereign debt default. 

The interim Pakistani government last year announced measures against the smuggling of foreign currency and to tighten control on the Afghan transit trade, imposing fees on several goods. It banned the trade of more than 210 items, including cloth and all kinds of tires. 

During the meeting in Islamabad, PM Kakar directed the Balochistan chief secretary to change all the administrative machinery of the southwestern Chagai district for being “negligent” toward the prevention of illegal transportation of goods. 

“The prime minister emphasized that the monitoring process should be tightened in border areas, including at Chaman, Torkham and Ghulam Khan check-posts,” PM Kakar’s office said. 

“He further directed that cargo checking should be improved and customs staff should be increased at the Chaman border.” 

Officials briefed the meeting that the smuggling of petroleum products from Iran had significantly reduced due to the government’s recent measures and a cargo tracking system had been made functional from Taftan to Quetta, according to the statement. 

The meeting was attended by the Caretaker Finance Minister Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, Caretaker Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz, senior officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, and representatives of intelligence agencies.