Crackdown
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker government has launched a nationwide crackdown against smugglers and hoarders. The smugglers of the US dollars will also face the music during the crackdown.
The government teams have seized Afghanistan-bound trucks laden with sugar. The sweetener was to be smuggled to Afghanistan.
In recent weeks, the value of the US dollar, sugar, flour, and some other items has soared substantially. The government has linked all this mess with smuggling and hoarding.
Therefore, according to the Interior Minister Sarfaraz Bugti, the government has initiated an action throughout the country. He said that the government agencies have already identified smugglers and hoarders.
During the ongoing crackdown, the people involved in smuggling and hoarding will be arrested.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday and Wednesday, the value of the US dollar has fallen to 316, from 333 rupees in the open market. It is an outcome of a nationwide action against currency dealers involved in hoarding and smuggling of the foreign currency.
Moreover, the retail price of sugar has also declined on Wednesday amid reports of crackdown.
PML-N and PPP blame each other for sugar crisis: Crackdown launched
Meanwhile, amidst the nationwide sugar crisis, two major political parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), both of which were part of the previous coalition government led by Shehbaz Sharif, engaged in a blame game regarding the alarming surge in prices throughout the country. As consumers grapple with soaring costs, the blame is tossed back and forth.
Former Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal blamed former Commerce Minister and PPP leader Naveed Qamar for the current crisis. He asserted that Qamar should be held accountable for the ongoing crisis. He claimed that it was his decision that led to the current sugar crisis. Iqbal stressed the need for Qamar to clarify his stance on the current crisis. He emphasized that the PML-N should not be held responsible for every decision made by the coalition government.
Meanwhile, Naveed Qamar defended himself against the allegations. He argued that the decision was made collectively by the Economic Coordination Committee and approved by the cabinet.
He revealed that there was an excess stock of sugar, three times more than the amount allowed for export. Qamar emphasized that the responsibility did not solely rest with the commerce ministry, as the decision had been approved by both the ECC and the cabinet.
The PPP Senator Taj Haider stated that Naveed Qamar authorized sugar exports to assist the then Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in earning foreign exchange. Haider alleged that former Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah permitted sugar smuggling, resulting in profits for smugglers.
