Authorities at Jinnah International Airport, Karachi confiscated chocolates and confectionery items from a passenger on Monday, a development that raises questions on whether the ban on 38 imported items imposed by the government last week extends to personal items being brought by travellers in their luggage.

As per the Federal Board of Revenue's (FBR) receipt, 5kg of food stuff was detained from a passenger coming from Dubai under SRO 598(I)/2022.

The food was seized for "contravention of Custom Acts/ITC Regulations /Foreign Exchange Regulations/ Allied Laws."

Last week, the government imposed a ban on the import of all non-essential luxury items in its effort to steer the country out of its existing financial crisis. A bulging import bill is part of the problem.

Import ban: Commerce ministry notifies list of 38 items

According to the list, a ban was imposed on the import of mobile phones CBU, home appliances, cosmetics, crockery, pet food, private weapons and ammunition, shoes, chandeliers and lighting (except energy savers), headphones and loudspeakers, doors and window frames, travelling bags and suitcases, sanitary ware, carpets (except from Afghanistan), tissue paper, furniture, shampoos, automobiles (CBU), luxury mattresses and sleeping bags, bathroom ware/toiletries, heaters/blowers, sunglasses, kitchenware, cigarettes, shaving goods, luxury leather apparel, musical instruments, saloon items like hairdryers and decoration/ornamental articles.

The Commerce Ministry also imposed a ban on the import of confectionery, jams and jelly, fish and frozen fish, sauces, ketchup etc, fruits and dry fruits (except from Afghanistan), preserved fruits, cornflakes, frozen meat, juices, pasta, aerated water, ice cream and chocolates (in retail packing).

However, the prohibition under this order shall not apply on the imports in Pak rupees or imports through the barter mechanism through land routes, the notification said.

The imports of products listed shall remain prohibited regardless of their import status elsewhere in the Import Policy Order 2022, the notification added.

Govt imposes ban on import of non-essential luxury items: Marriyum Aurangzeb