Latest news with #Shehbaz Sharif
Arab News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistan PM says human smuggling in decline after crackdown prompted by migrant boat tragedies
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday human smuggling incidents involving Pakistani migrants had declined following a series of deadly boat tragedies, crediting law enforcement actions for curbing the crime, which he described as an organized global enterprise of exploitation. Sharif's remarks came in a statement marking the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed this year under the theme 'Human Trafficking: A Coordinated Crime – End Exploitation.' The message follows a series of maritime tragedies over the past two years in which scores of Pakistanis have drowned while attempting to reach Europe through irregular sea routes. These included a shipwreck off Greece in mid-2023, a December 2024 incident near the Greek coast, a January 2025 disaster off Morocco and two separate capsizings off the Libyan coast in early and mid-2025. 'To prevent such incidents and bring traffickers to justice, the federal government formed a special task force for timely intervention,' Sharif said in the statement circulated by the Prime Minister's Office to mark the day. 'It is encouraging that the task force has worked with diligence and strategy to address the root causes, motives and consequences of this grave crime,' he added. 'The FIA and Intelligence Bureau have significantly reduced the activities of human smuggling networks, and complicit officials have also been held accountable.' The prime minister described human smuggling as a 'transnational crime' that targets vulnerable people in search of livelihoods. 'Criminal networks around the world exploit citizens seeking employment opportunities through human smuggling,' he said. 'In recent years, the tragic deaths of Pakistani migrants who drowned while trying to travel abroad illegally have further exposed the horrific and dangerous face of human smuggling.' Sharif noted the government was not only targeting smugglers but also educating the public about safe, legal avenues for overseas employment. He emphasized while the state is working to create job opportunities at home and abroad, risking one's life through illegal routes was both dangerous and a violation of national and international law. Pakistan actively participates in global platforms to counter trafficking, including the Budapest Process, Bali Process and the STARSOM Project, which focus on regional cooperation across Asia, Africa and the Americas. 'Today is an opportunity to renew our collective resolve,' the prime minister said, 'to ensure that federal and provincial governments, law enforcement agencies, the foreign ministry and intelligence institutions continue to play their part in eradicating this heinous crime.'
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
PM approves modern digital ecosystem for Pakistan revenue watchdog to increase collection
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the development of a modern, world-class digital ecosystem in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and directed hiring of world-renowned experts, his office said, in a bid to increase revenue collection. The prime minister issued the directives at a meeting he presided over to review ongoing reforms in the FBR, during which officials briefed participants about linking FBR data to a single hub for real-time monitoring. The reforms are tied to the government's economic stabilization agenda and structural benchmarks under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. Pakistan has one of the lowest tax-to-GDP ratios in the region, despite a population of more than 240 million. Speaking at the meeting, Sharif said the country's economy was moving in the right direction, thanks to the ongoing FBR reforms, and the government could only reduce tax on common people by increasing the tax base and eliminating informal economy. "An entire digital ecosystem should be created to strengthen the new [FBR] system," he said. "All data from raw material production and import, product manufacturing to consumer purchases should be linked to a single system." In June, Sharif's government set a record-high tax collection target of Rs14.13 trillion ($47.4 billion) for the fiscal year 2025–26, marking a 9 percent increase from the previous year. Officials say meeting this goal is essential to reducing reliance on external debt and ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability. The prime minister said this consolidated data, collected under the new FBR system, should be used for economic, strategic decision-making. "The system should be made so effective that the entire value chain can be directly monitored digitally," the prime minister added. Earlier this month, the FBR launched simplified digital tax returns for salaried individuals, aimed at increasing tax compliance and widening the narrow tax base.
