ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: The government has decided to reactivate the provincial anti-smuggling committees to work out measures for countering the menace of smuggling.

Official sources told Dawn that these committees would be headed by customs collectors at the four provincial headquarters, respectively.

These committees would meet regularly every three months to analyze the steps being taken for reducing the flow of smuggled items into the country causing harm to the local industry.

According to the officials, the government would also set up new joint check posts at nine different points to reduce the incidence of smuggling.

They said that in this connection as a pilot project a joint check post will be established in Kund (NWFP), which would start functioning within three months.

The joint check posts would be manned by different agencies currently involved in the anti-smuggling activities for checking and monitoring smuggling.

It was also decided that the proposed check post would start profiling of smuggling source and routes work for their effective control.

The decision was taken following the directive of President General Pervez Musharraf to work out a plan to counter the smuggling of those goods which causing loss to the production of the local industries.