Pakistan, June 6 -- The Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has stated that it does not handle or maintain data related to smuggling and illegal trade in Pakistan. During a Senate sub-committee meeting, the ministry instead recommended a "Whole-of-Government" approach to effectively tackle the issue, emphasizing that it requires collaboration across multiple government departments.

Additional Secretary for Trade Policy, Salman Mufti, made this clarification while responding to claims made by the economic think tank PRIME. The meeting, chaired by Senator Sarmad Ali, also included Senators Faisal Saleem Rahman and Zeeshan Khan Zada. It was held to assess the accuracy of PRIME's data and explore possible policy actions.

According to PRIME's report,...