ISLAMABAD : Sept 19 : The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the federal cabinet has directed to the concerned authorities to go for even harsher crackdown against the hoarders of sugar , wheat and other items, which are being smuggled to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Caretaker Fiance minister Dr Shashad Akhtar , who chaired ECC meeting here directed to the Planning Division to actively pursue the crackdown launched against sugar and wheat hoarders and smugglers . Minister PDSI, Minister for Commerce, Industries, & Production, Minister for Communication, Maritime, & Railways, Minister for Power & Petroleum, Minister of IT and Telecom, Advisor to PM on Finance, Governor SBP, Chairman SECP, & Federal Secretaries attended the meeting
Addressing the ECC meeting , Dr Shamshad Akhtar said the caretaker government will not tolerate any sluggish attitude for fixing up these who were involved in smuggling and hoarding of sugar , wheat and other commodities .
In the last six months of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM regime, hoarding and smuggling of sugar , wheat and fertilizers had boomed. A main political party of PDM regime was directly involved in smuggling of sugar to Afghanistan and Iran. According to a well informed source of sugar sector the powerful politicians hailing from Sindh smuggled half a million tons sugar to Afghanistan in just four last months of PDM rule. The smuggling of sugar to such a big volume cost Pakistan roughly S 350 million. The sugar prices per ton in the international market range between $ 730 to $ 745 and its simple math to calculate how much loss this politically backed mafia caused to Pakistan by smuggling 0.5 m ton sugar from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
Sugar smuggling was also a major cause to stoke the commodity prices to record high of Rs 230 and even plus per kg in the last one month or so . This loot would have continued had PDM rule not ended in September last. The same was the case with wheat . It was also equally attractive for Pakistani mafias to smuggle wheat , but this illegal activity slowed down some two months ago with falling of its prices in the global market. ECC vowed to delete mafias involved in sugar and wheat hoarding and snuggling .
