The federal government has ordered a sweeping crackdown on non-digitized petrol pumps, hawala and hundi networks, smuggling, black money, illegal spectrum use and the crime-terror nexus, as authorities move to “harden the state” amid rising security and economic risks.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Federal Steering and Review Committee on Counter Terrorism, chaired by the secretary of the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, according to Business Recorder. Senior representatives from provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir attended the session.
The report said that provinces were instructed to accelerate capacity-building of Counter Terrorism Departments (CTDs), with expanded deployment in violence-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where militant attacks have increased in recent months.
The committee directed law enforcement agencies to intensify intelligence-based operations against militant groups and their support networks, particularly in KP and Balochistan. Authorities were also asked to engage religious leaders and local communities to build a counterterrorism narrative aimed at cutting off logistical and social support for militants.
Security for Chinese-led and other foreign-invested projects, including those under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), will be tightened in line with Interior Ministry protocols, officials said, as Pakistan seeks to reassure investors after repeated attacks on project sites and personnel.
The government also approved stricter regulations to curb smuggling and the shadow economy. The Federal Investigation Agency and the AML/CFT Authority were instructed to take tougher action against hawala and hundi operators, while enhanced enforcement against narcotics trafficking and illegal weapons manufacturing was ordered.
Authorities decided to speed up Safe City surveillance projects, particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan, AJK and Gwadar, and to intensify anti-encroachment drives across KP, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad.
A major focus will be on the digitization of fuel retail. Provinces were told to expedite the digitization of petrol pumps and shut down illegal outlets, using powers under the Petroleum Amendments Act 2025 to act against the sale of smuggled fuel. A zero-tolerance policy will remain in place, with provinces required to submit regular enforcement reports.
The committee also ordered a remapping of undocumented foreigners and the cancellation of fake national identity cards issued to Afghan nationals. NADRA was directed to share data with law enforcement agencies, while provincial governments were told to intensify repatriation and prevent the re-entry of previously deported individuals.
Afghan camps in KP are to be evacuated immediately and NGOs facilitating such settlements will be halted, officials said. Third-country relocation of Afghan nationals will continue only under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme.
Authorities said roughly two million Afghan nationals have already been repatriated, but more than two million are still in Pakistan. Federal and provincial governments were instructed to maintain a zero-tolerance approach toward illegal residents.
The National Highway Authority was also directed to complete infrastructure projects on schedule and submit monthly progress reports, as part of broader efforts to strengthen governance and security enforcement nationwide.