ISLAMABAD: Admi­t­ting that some officials of the armed forces were involved in cross-border smuggling, Caretaker Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Monday said such officers would be court-martialled and sent to jail.

“It won’t be correct if I say that security forces aren’t involved in it, as [smuggled] items are transported via trucks, not camels,” Mr Bugti said while addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Murtaza Solangi.

The minister’s remarks come amidst a stepped-up crackdown against smugglers transporting wheat, sugar, fertilisers and dollars to Afghanistan and oil to Pakistan.

The interior minister also claimed that during a meeting, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Asim Munir told his officers that whoever was found involved in cross-border smuggling would face the consequences.

Says COAS has warned top brass of action; terms prospect of Nawaz’s return ‘encouraging’

“Pakistan’s army chief had told his people very clearly that they won’t only be court-martialled, but those involved in such activities would also be sent to jail,” Mr Bugti said while referring to a meeting, where he claimed to be present as well.

The army has an accountability mechanism little known to the general public, he said, referring to action against officers over alleged negligence on May 9.

In June, three army officers, including a lieutenant general, were sacked following “two comprehensive inquiries”.

‘Civilian shortcomings’

The interior minister said there were weaknesses on the civilian side as well, which needed to be addressed to curb smuggling.

He said the Balochistan chief secretary was holding an inquiry against government officers and politicians allegedly involved in smuggling and “no one will be spared no matter how influential they are”.

Joint checkpoints of Customs, Frontier Corps, police and other relevant departments have been established in all provinces to check smuggling.

A mechanism has been formed to check petroleum products at filling stations in the bordering areas of Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab to ensure no one sells smuggled oil, Mr Bugti added.

The minister reassured that those running legal businesses would be encouraged and incentivised.

‘State has monopoly on violence’

While briefing the media on the outcome of a probe into the Mastung attack, the minister surprised those in attendance when he said that only the state has a “monopoly over violence”.

“The appeasement policy has always damaged the state and Pakistan. The right to violence and monopoly over violence will only rest with the state. No one would [else] be allowed to exercise this monopoly.”

He continued that Pakistan has resources and the security forces are capable of fighting the war against terrorism.

“We have never owned it as a national war, and there is some divide over this matter. We have to remove those differences.”

An official later explained that it was a slip of the tongue and the minister, in fact, meant to say “use of force” when he talked of “violence”.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in political science and sociology, the concept that the state alone has the right to use or authorise the use of physical force is widely regarded as a defining characteristic of the modern state.

The minister, in his presser, also blamed Indian intelligence agency RAW for involvement in all major terrorist attacks in Balochistan.

He, however, added RAW’s involve­ment in the Mastung attack was yet to be determined, and an investigation was underway.

Responding to another question, the minister said the prospect of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s return was “encouraging”.

“Nawaz Sharif is a leader who had returned to the country along with his daughter only to face jail,” he said, while referring to the elder Sharif’s return before the 2018 elections after being sentenced in corruption cases.

He said that the case of Mr Nawaz would be dealt with as per the law, and the government would fulfil its duty by providing adequate security during general elections.

Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2023