By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday signed the anti-smuggling ordinance into law to tighten the noose around smugglers of currency and essential commodities, media reported.
According to the ordinance, which was sent to the president for signature after approval of the federal cabinet, those found supplying currency, wheat, flour, rice, and other essential food items through illegal routes will be treated as smugglers and will face up to an imprisonment of 14 years.
Under the ordinance, a person found smuggling Rs3 million worth of commodities will face up to two years in jail while smugglers of Rs5 million worth of essential items will be imprisoned for three years.
Likewise, the ordinance stipulates five-year imprisonment for smuggling of commodities worth Rs7.5 million, 10-year imprisonment for smuggling of items whose value range from Rs7.5 to Rs 10 million, and 14-jail term for smuggling of commodities worth more than Rs10 million.
The perpetrators’ aiders and facilitators will also be punished under the law.
Speaking at a press conference earlier, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farogh Naseem had said the main objective of introducing the law was to stop smuggling of dollars and essential commodities through undeclared routes.
