In a meeting chaired by PM Shahbaz Sharif to address the issue of smuggling and the misuse of the Afghan Transit Trade, we were caught off guard by the revelation that government officials were actually collaborating with these individuals in their smuggling endeavours.

Once again, we can see just how deeply corruption is flowing through the veins of the country’s governance system. Even though the PM gave the directive to remove these officers from their posts and initiate disciplinary proceedings against them, swift action should already have been taken against them without receiving explicit orders from the PM. Not only does the delay in the legal proceedings against these individuals give the impression that the law enforcement agencies are ineffective in administrating justice, but it also erodes the trust and confidence of the public in these agencies. If the government is aware of the officials involved in these smuggling activities, it should not have to wait for official orders from the PM to proceed against them. No individual is above the law and their position of power must not provide them with any leverage in cases like these if they break the laws of the country.

To tackle the problem of smuggling, the PM suggested a third-party audit of the monitoring system for the Afghan Transit Trade. However, we need to realize that while legislative measures and audits are important, it is primarily the responsibility of law enforcement agencies to combat smuggling – these agencies must be held accountable. They must be directed to actively enforce laws and regulations and it is the duty of the government to ensure that they are reprimanded for the delay that these agencies have caused in performing their duties, otherwise, there is no sense of accountability in this matter.

Moving forward, the government must publicly condemn the officials involved in smuggling to set a precedent, thereby sending a strong message that such behaviors will not be tolerated at any cost. Moreover, since this is a serious case involving not only potential drugs but other illegal goods, the government should collaborate with the armed forces to enforce security measures at the border.

While law enforcement agencies work in tandem with the military to eradicate smuggling from its roots, the immediate focus for the government must be on taking decisive action against the officials colluding with the smugglers to deter any such future occurrences.