LAHORE: The federal government has ordered a nationwide crackdown to prevent the smuggling of petroleum products out of the country, directing provincial administrations, law enforcement agencies and key federal institutions to adopt strict monitoring and enforcement measures in view of growing uncertainty in regional energy supply chains.
In a “Most Immediate” official communication issued, a copy of which is available with Jang, the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control conveyed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed authorities to ensure that petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) products are not illegally transported or smuggled outside Pakistan.
The directive follows a high level meeting held on March 3 during which the prime minister emphasised the need for urgent preventive steps to safeguard the country’s energy reserves and prevent illicit cross-border trade in fuel.
According to the communication, the prevailing security situation in the Middle East, particularly the evolving developments involving Iran, has created uncertainty in global energy supply chains. In this context, the government stressed that preventing the illegal outflow of petroleum products has become critical to protecting Pakistan’s national energy security and maintaining domestic fuel availability.
The Interior Ministry asked all provincial governments, law enforcement
bodies and other stakeholders to ensure that petroleum products are not smuggled through any land or maritime routes. Authorities were instructed to establish effective monitoring mechanisms particularly along border regions, key transit corridors, storage depots and distribution networks.
The communication was addressed to the chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, the secretary of the Petroleum Division of the Ministry of Energy, chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as inspectors general of police of the provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory.
It was also sent to the director general of military operations at the General Headquarters Rawalpindi and the chief commissioner of the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration to ensure coordination between civilian and security institutions.
The ministry directed authorities to maintain strict vigilance and initiate legal action against individuals or networks found involved in the illegal transportation or smuggling of POL products.
