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ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Wednesday that Pakistan Customs had foiled an attempt to clear bulletproof automotive glass using forged documents at the Taftan border crossing with Iran.

The Taftan crossing, in Balochistan’s Chagai district at the frontier with Iran, is one of Pakistan’s key border gateways for trade and also a hotspot for smuggling of fuel, steel and other goods from Iran into Pakistan, according to multiple reports.  

Smugglers have long exploited the 909-kilometer Iran-Pakistan border, with weak surveillance and collusion enabling large-scale illicit trade. 

“An FIR has been registered against the importer, clearing agent, and others under the Customs Act, 1969 for mis-declaration and forgery to avoid payment of legitimate duties and taxes and circumvent the import restrictions,” a statement from FBR said.

The case highlights the continuing challenge authorities face at Taftan in cracking down on misuse of the trade route for smuggling and mis-declaration.

According to a release issued by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the consignment was declared on 27 September 2025 by M/s Pak Armoring Pvt. Ltd. (NTN 3111342) as “replacement automotive safety glass”, but inspection found it contained 11,000 kg of bullet-proof automotive safety glass under PCT heading 7007.2111, a restricted import requiring a valid Ministry of Interior NOC. 

The genuine NOC submitted belonged to a different company, M/s Pak Armoring (Pvt.) Ltd. (NTN 398348-1), which denied any link to the consignment. 

The duty and tax evasion was estimated at Rs 7.55 million ($27,000).

According to the FBR statement, customs officials said the investigation also revealed the importer, Mr.Umer Iqbal Butt, had uploaded documents under another name, Deluxe Enterprises, in the WeBOC system. 
 

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik met senior Bangladeshi officials in Dhaka on Wednesday to seek increased cooperation in energy, natural resources and connectivity sectors, Pakistan’s petroleum ministry said. 

Pakistan and Bangladesh have attempted to increase economic, trade and investment cooperation in recent months. The two nations organized the ninth session of the Pakistan-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission (JEC) in Dhaka this Monday after a hiatus of 20 years. 

Pakistan and Bangladesh were part of the same country until a bloody civil war in 1971 caused the latter to secede and become the independent nation of Bangladesh. After the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year, who had close ties to India, Islamabad and Dhaka have sought to improve their historically bitter ties. 

Malik met senior Bangladeshi officials, including Mohammad Touhid, the country’s adviser for foreign affairs in Dhaka on Wednesday. 

“Both sides expressed satisfaction over the resumption of institutional mechanism meetings between Pakistan and Bangladesh and agreed to further enhance cooperation in various sectors, including connectivity, energy, and natural resources,” the petroleum ministry said. 

Touhid stressed the importance of restoring direct flights between Pakistan and Bangladesh during the meeting, the ministry said. 

Malik also met Sheikh Bashiruddin, Bangladesh’s adviser for commerce, textiles, civil Aviation and tourism, and Mohammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, adviser for energy and mineral Resources. 

The two sides held discussions to strengthen bilateral trade cooperation and collaboration in the energy sector, the petroleum ministry said. 

“Ali Pervez Malik welcomed the convening of the Joint Economic Commission meeting after twenty years, describing it as the beginning of a new chapter in Pakistan-Bangladesh relations,” the statement said.