Senate body raises alarm over smuggling toll on economy

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Interior Faisal Saleem Rehman has observed during a committee meeting that smuggling is causing significant losses to the national exchequer and stressed the urgent need for strict action to combat this menace.

He also pointed out alleged involvement of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials in facilitating smuggling and directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to prepare a strategy to curb the practice.

Senator Rehman said that data was currently being collected to formally assign the FIA the challenging task of tackling smuggling.

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior held its meeting under the chairmanship of Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman on Tuesday at the Parliament House, where several legislative bills moved by Senators Fawzia Arshad, Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan and Mohsin Aziz were discussed.

The committee also received a detailed briefing on the updated status of an inquiry conducted by the FIA against a legal assistant of Workers Welfare Board (WWB), as well as the steps taken by the interior ministry and police against miscreants hiding in the Sanghar area.

The committee further instructed the Sindh police, particularly the authorities in Sanghar, to conduct an impartial investigation into the recent unfortunate incident involving two parties from the same clan. The police department provided an update on the case’s progress.

Additionally, the committee sought a report on the incident in Mirpurkhas, Sindh, and directed the Sindh police to submit their findings.

Regarding anti-money laundering, Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman criticised the practice of sending notices to individuals after death. He expressed concern over the blackmailing done under the guise of such notices, questioning why a sub-inspector was issuing anti-money laundering notices.

When the chairman inquired about the FIS director general, the committee was informed that the DG was in Beijing attending a conference. Senators Fawzia Arshad and Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan presented their respective amendment bills, explaining their significance and rationale behind the proposed changes.

The chairman acknowledged the importance of bills and emphasized the need for thorough discussions involving all stakeholders. The committee instructed the relevant ministry to submit a comprehensive report on the amendments proposed by senators Fawzia Arshad and Palwasha Muhammad Zai Khan.