QUETTA: The Ministry of Interior secretary, Muhammad Khurram Agha, has assured Balo­chistan traders that the “unwarranted” stops of their goods trucks by security forces on highways would be halted.

In a meeting with Balochistan’s traders and the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) president on Saturday, Mr Agha said the role of security agencies is to ensure the security of public and business community and not hinder legal trade.

The meeting was also attended by the head of Pakistan Customs, Muhammad Junaid Jalil Khan, Customs Balochis­tan Chief Collector Yaqoob Mako, Customs Appraisement Collector Jameel Baloch, and officers of Frontier Cons­tabulary North and South zones in Balochistan.

The federal secretary stressed that obstacles to legal trade were unacceptable.

Interior secretary says security agencies shouldn’t hinder legal trade

During the meeting, which took place on the directives of FBR Chair­man Rashid Mahmood Langrial, QCCI president Muhammad Ayub Mariani raised concerns over the stopping of trucks by security forces.

He said the transported goods were already cleared by Customs, and duty was also paid on them.

According to the QCCI head, the trucks from Balochistan were being “unnecessarily” stopped and goods seized by the Customs collectorates in Multan, Lahore, Faisal­abad, and Hyderabad.

Although the goods are later cleared, the practice causes significant financial losses to Balochistan’s importers and exporters, who have to attend “needless” court hearings in various cities, he added.

The federal secretary acknowledged that actions based on credible intelligence were appropriate, but the “unwarranted” stopping of goods vehicles was unacceptable.

Mr Khan, the Customs head, assured the meeting that immediate action would be taken against those officers who stop vehicles without any reason.

He also promised that the process to clear vehicles in Quetta would be expedited and vowed not to tolerate any negligence in this regard.

Mr Mako, the chief officer of Customs in Balochistan, told the meeting that the authority of Customs Intelligence to stop and seize goods transport vehicles has already been revoked. He added that the concerns of clearing agents and importers were being addressed.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2024