The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has expressed concern over the smuggling of petroleum products in Pakistan and sought an explanation from the Finance Ministry and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Sources in the FBR have said that the country has lost more than $10 billion due to the smuggling of petroleum products under tax and levy.
Owing to this, the global lending agency has expressed concern over the smuggling of petroleum products and sought a clarification from the Finance Ministry and the FBR.
The sources said that the IMF has insisted on stopping the smuggling of 143 million liters of petroleum products per month.
Also Read: Startling revelations about massive smuggling of Iranian oil into Pakistan
It has also sought the details of measures taken so far to prevent smuggling of petroleum products.
Just last week, the caretakee government announced a massive crackdown on smuggling of oil, espeically from across the border through Iran.
On September 9, some sensational revelations were made in a report of a sensitive agency related to the smuggling of Iranian oil into Pakistan. According to the report, 10 million liters of Iranian oil are smuggled into Pakistan every month.
The oil is smuggled to border areas of Rakhni, Loralai, Mekhtar and Bawata on the Pakistan side. Trucks and tankers converge at the Sakhi Sarwar checkpost in Dera Ghazi Khan from where supplies are sent out across the country, as per the report.
Officials of the Border Military Police receive between Rs150 and Rs200 million from a convoy of 100 to 150 trucks, the reports revealed.
Each truck carries around 8,000 to 10,000 liters of oil, the report adds.
Due to a lack of checking on the motorway, smuggling through the route is convenient and hassle-free.
Petrol pump owners earn millions by mixing 30% to 40% of Iranian oil, the report reveals further.
The country's economy is losing billions of rupees per month due to this illegal activity.
Also Read: 90 govt officials, 29 politicians involved in Iranian oil smuggling: report
Another report on the dirty business of smuggling in Pakistan was sent to the Prime Minister's House last week. The report provides details of the business of smuggling of Iranian oil and hawala/hundi.
Sources quoted the report as revealing that 722 currency dealers in Pakistan are involved in hawala/hundi business.
The highest number of dealers of hawala/hundi are based in Punjab with 205, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 183 and Sindh 176, whereas there are 17 businesses of hawala/hundi in Islamabad, 104 in Balochistan and 37 in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The sources further said that the details of officers, politicians, dealers involved in the smuggling of Iranian oil have been provided to the Prime Minister’s House.
More than 2.81 billion liters of oil is smuggled from Iran to Pakistan annually, the reports says. It further adds that because of the smuggling, Pakistan is facing losses worth more than Rs60 billion annually.
