ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Wednesday warned owners of petrol stations across country to stop selling of smuggled petrol within a week; otherwise, those stations found involved in such illegal business will be closed forever.
Rashid, while talking to media at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) headquarters on the occasion of Christmas cake-cutting ceremony said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the Ministry of Interior to curb selling of smuggled, counterfeit fuel or stolen petrol across the country.
He said that as per the directives of the premier, all those petrol pumps would be closed which were selling smuggled or stolen petrol after one week.
He said that he also issued directives to all the chief secretaries in that regard.
The interior minister said that owners of such petrol pumps would never be allowed to do petroleum business in the future as well.
He said $7 billion could be saved by eliminating petrol smuggling.
Rashid said that an effective extensive awareness campaign against the smuggled petrol would be run on electronic and print media.
He said that the prime minister has praised the role of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in earlier curbing the smuggling of mobile phones into the country.
He said this led to a growth in revenue.
He also asked the chief secretaries of all the provinces to facilitate Churches across the country during Christmas, and the police should provide them foolproof security.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020