CHECKING smuggling is Pakistan Customs` job. Peshawar is plagued by smuggling that has had a detrimental effect on the economy of the city and region.
Smuggling in Peshawar starts from Afghanistan, from where non-tax paid items are transported via camels and horses to Fata. From there, the items are moved into Hayatabad Karkhano market in Peshawar through back alleys. From there, the items are smuggled in transport vehicles and strangely by handicapped persons riding motorcycles to other areas of Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Customs authorities can be seen at checkpoints and patrol vehicles, allowing these smugglers to roam freely. Although police have no authority to check smuggling, they receive money from smugglers at various checkpoints.
The smugglers have set up stands on railway land, while they have also constructed big plazas in Hayatabad where the smuggled items are stored and many other illegal activities are conducted. But the police are afraid of entering the plazas as the smugglers are bacl(ed by many powerful politicians.
Owing to smuggling, no multinational and large manufacturing company is willing to set up plants in Peshawar or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Similarly, many trading and promotion companies are afraid of setting up business in the province for they fear losing money because of smuggled products.
Many local manufacturers are also facing difficulty in competing in price with items that are prepared from smuggled raw material at lower untaxed rate. Since there are no big companies working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highly qualified citizens of the province move to other cities for jobs, resulting in brain-drain.
Since there are no opportunities,the youth are also not interested in higher education.
Elimination of smuggling is imperative for the development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Peshawar. If the Customs authorities are unable to do their job, this task should be handed over to the provinces.
