President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Muhammad Jawed Bilwani has categorically stated that Karachi Chamber is unequivocally against smuggling in all its forms, as it severely damages Pakistan’s economy, undermines honest businesses, and erodes the government’s revenue base.

However, President KCCI stressed that while KCCI fully supports all legal actions taken against smugglers, it also must raise its voice for those genuine traders and business people whose legally imported, locally purchased, or auction-purchased goods are wrongfully confiscated during such raids. These actions cause irreparable financial losses, disrupt commercial operations, and inflict lasting damage to the reputation of the affected business people, he said, adding that instead of conducting raids in the several markets of Karachi and creating law and order situation, the law enforcing agencies should devise effectively mechanism to catch smuggled goods at from the point of origin including borders, sea ports and airports.

President KCCI emphasized that the strict implementation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) is essential to ensure that genuine traders are not victimized. He further stated that if, in unavoidable circumstances, a raid has to be conducted during nighttime, the goods should not be removed from the premises immediately. Instead, the premises should be securely sealed and the process resumed in the morning in the presence of the owner or an authorized representative.