ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is committed to fighting terrorism and eradicating the menace of smuggling of goods and money-laundering from its soil and the region, says Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue Haroon Akhtar Khan.

“Our customs and its standards are on a par with the world and, in some cases, even better than some of the best customs in the region,” he said while speaking to a delegation from the US Control and Border Security (EXBS) which met him at his office at the FBR headquarters.

EXBS country director Shelly Atkinson led the US delegation which included officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the US Embassy in Pakistan.

Member Customs Mohammad Zahid Khokhar and other senior FBR officers were present at the meeting.

Mr Khan told the delegation that “our entire system is now fully computerised and we have made some major inroads against smuggling and money laundering by unearthing some substantial cases in recent years”.

He offered to send officers from Pakistan Customs for training to learn from the US experiences and share with them what Pakistan had been able to achieve in modernising its customs and securing its borders.

“We would like this cooperation to be further strengthened and consolidated in sharing of intelligence and exchange of resources,” said the PM’s special assistant.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2018