ISLAMABAD: In an effort to encourage legal business with neighboring countries, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday accorded approval to set up trade markets along Pakistan’s borders with Afghanistan and Iran, ARY News reported.
Presiding over a high-level meeting in Islamabad today, PM Imran Khan gave approval to establish 12 markets along Pak-Afghan border and six markets along Pak-Iran border.
The meeting decided to take effective measures to eliminate the menace of smuggling. Briefing the meeting, an official said that the border markets will be made functional by February, 2021.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and other high officials were in attendance in the meeting.
Read More: Smuggling poses risk to food security, inflicts irreparable loss on industrial sector: PM Imran
Earlier on May 14, Chairing a meeting to review the measures the government had taken to check smuggling and overpricing of essential items in the country, Prime Minister Imran Khan had stated no compromise would be made in action against smuggling.
Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, Food Security and Research Minister Syed Fakhar Imam, Adviser to the PM on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and relevant officials were in attendance in the meeting.
Over the course of the meeting, the premier had been informed that an ordinance had been promulgated to curb smuggling of basic food items and currency as it empowered law enforcement agencies to take action against such illegal activities at the country’s airports and frontiers.
