Quetta: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has ordered intensified anti-smuggling operations and the swift resolution of traders’ concerns during a two-day inspection of Pakistan Customs formations in Balochistan, aimed at curbing illicit trade and facilitating legitimate imports and exports.
Syed Shakeel Shah, Member (Customs Operations), FBR, accompanied by Basit Maqsood Abbasi, Chief Collector of Customs Enforcement Islamabad, visited Customs House Quetta on January 8–9, where they reviewed enforcement performance, revenue results, and border management challenges along a key trade corridor.
The visit came amid renewed efforts to plug revenue leakages and strengthen customs controls along Pakistan’s western borders.
Briefings highlighted sustained intelligence-led operations, recoveries from anti-smuggling drives, and enforcement actions across the Quetta, Taftan, and Gaddani jurisdictions, according to a press release.
Officials also discussed trade dynamics in Balochistan, including operational challenges faced by importers and exporters at border points with Iran and Afghanistan.
A delegation from the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry raised trade-related issues, prompting on-the-spot directions from FBR leadership for their resolution—reflecting an attempt to balance strict enforcement with trade facilitation.
Customs authorities noted that stronger enforcement has supported revenue growth while discouraging smuggling that distorts domestic markets and undermines tax collection.
The visit also featured the inauguration of two new Customs Enforcement sections in Quetta to enhance on-ground monitoring and operational capacity, along with a tree plantation drive at Customs House Quetta as part of an environmental initiative.
Separately, the FBR delegation met the Corps Commander Quetta and held discussions with senior officials of the Frontier Corps (North and South), Pakistan Coast Guards, and other law enforcement agencies. Talks focused on inter-agency coordination, border management, and joint action against smuggling networks operating along land and coastal borders.
Concluding the visit, FBR leadership reviewed the overall performance of Pakistan Customs in Balochistan, with particular emphasis on anti-smuggling results and revenue collection, as the government leans on tighter customs enforcement to support fiscal consolidation and protect formal trade channels.
