Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif on Friday chaired a weekly performance review meeting of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), lauding recent anti-smuggling operations and directing authorities to further intensify action against tax evasion and illicit trade.
During the meeting, the prime minister was briefed on progress made by the FBR in curbing smuggling and related enforcement measures. He said that smuggling annually causes losses of billions of rupees to the national exchequer, stressing that decisive action was essential to safeguard the country’s economic interests, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said.
The prime minister commended the role of Pakistan Customs and said successful enforcement operations had led to a significant reduction in smuggling, calling the results encouraging and commendable. He noted that due to effective measures, several commodities that were previously smuggled were now being imported through legal channels and had become part of the formal economy.
The prime minister directed that efforts against tax evasion be further accelerated, reiterating that no leniency would be shown in cases involving smuggling or tax fraud. He also instructed provincial governments to extend full cooperation to the FBR in taking legal action against illegal petrol pumps. The officials informed the meeting that an integrated customs enforcement system was now operational across the country to prevent smuggling. It was further briefed that petrol pumps nationwide had been registered through the Rahguzar App, while legal action against illegal outlets was ongoing. District administrations have been empowered under the new Petroleum Act to seize illegal machinery, and a GPS-based tracking system has been enforced for the transportation of petroleum products.
According to the briefing, measures taken between July and November 2025 to curb petroleum smuggling resulted in an 82 percent increase in revenue compared to the same period last year. Significant revenue gains were also recorded over the past five months following actions against the illegal smuggling of cigarettes, tyres, garments, electronics, and other goods. The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Muhammad Aurangzeb and Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, the Chairman FBR, and senior officials from relevant departments.