ISLAMABAD: A report submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has revealed that 29 politicians are allegedly involved in the smuggling of Iranian petroleum products.
The report states that terrorists are using the proceeds from petrol smuggling as a major source of financing.
The report indicts politicians and government officials and reveals that 2.8 billion liters of petrol is smuggled to Pakistan annually from Iran.
Pakistan loses 60 billion rupees every year due to petrol smuggling. A total of 995 petrol pumps across the country are involved in the illegal sale of Iranian petrol. Around 90 government officials and 29 politicians are involved in petrol smuggling.
However, the shocking revelation in the report is that Pakistan State Oil vehicles are involved in the transportation of Iranian petrol.
The report also addressed the issue of handi-hawala (illegal currency trading and smuggling), stating that 722 currency dealers are involved in illegal foreign exchange activities.
In Punjab, 205 currency dealers, the highest among all provinces, are involved in illegal activities, followed by 183 dealers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Meanwhile, Sindh, Balochistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) have 179, 104, and 37 such dealers, respectively.
17 dealers in Islamabad are involved in hawalati handi business.
Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Senator Sarfaraz Bugti said that those who smuggle US dollars and hoard sugar and other food items are more dangerous terrorists than TTP.
He said that those who harm Pakistan and create a threat to security will be given a strong response by using all the resources of the country.
“It doesn’t matter who attacks us. For us, everyone who attacks us is a terrorist,” Interim Home Minister Sarfraz Bugti said at a press conference focused on a crackdown on smugglers and hoarders.
He said that all the provincial governments and law enforcement agencies are ready to fight against internal opponents of Pakistan. He warned that whoever attacked us, we will respond and our response will be seen, God willing.
Bugti was responding to a question regarding media reports alleging that the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban was supported by the Afghan Taliban in Nuristan province in Afghanistan and that members of the Afghan Taliban were involved in the September 6 attack that The responsibility was accepted by TTP.
The Home Minister said that the government is using all resources to deal with such anti-state activities.
“It is too early to say whether the Afghans were part of it or just members of the TTP,” Bugti replied to the question, reminding that the current Afghan government had signed the Doha Accords under which they He has expressed his determination that he will not allow terrorism on his soil. To be used against any country.
The cross-border attack took place on a day when Pakistan was celebrating its Defense and Martyrs Day. A statement issued by the army’s media wing said that at least 12 terrorists were killed in the operation.
The interior minister said the gas-rich Balochistan province shares insecure borders with Iran and Afghanistan and has been the scene of a grassroots insurgency by Baloch nationalists for nearly two decades. Pakistani security forces have been the focus of separatist attacks, but in recent years they have also targeted Chinese interests, given Beijing’s growing economic influence in the region.
“Movement and concentration of terrorists in Gowardesh, Patigal, Barg Mittal and Batash areas of Nuristan and Kunar provinces of Afghanistan had already been intercepted and they were captured by the Interim Afghan Government,” Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement. was shared in a timely manner.” .
The media wing hoped that the interim Afghan government would deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists to carry out terrorist activities against Pakistan, the interior minister said.
Meanwhile, Sarfaraz Bugti said that it is his responsibility to recover the six local footballers who were kidnapped a day ago in Balochistan.
According to JEE News reports, the footballers were abducted by unknown gunmen from Sui Tehsil area of Dera Bugti district on Saturday. Resident footballers of Sui and Dera Bugti areas of Balochistan were on their way to Sabi to participate in the All-Pakistan Chief Minister Gold Cup Football Tournament.
“All resources will be used to recover the abducted persons,” Bugti said, citing the Interior Ministry on social media platform X. The ministry added that Bugti had issued instructions to the security agencies on Saturday to take steps to recover the footballers.
The statement further said that the area of Sui tehsil from where the footballers were abducted was cordoned off on Saturday and an operation is underway to recover the victims. “The perpetrators of violence will not escape the law,” the ministry quoted Bugti as saying. “The kidnapped are our children, I will not rest until they are recovered.”
