ISLAMABAD – The newly installed federal government has banned the imports of 38 non-essential luxury items under the ’emergency economic plan’.
Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the development in a presser soon after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the decision would ‘save the country precious foreign exchange’.
Taking it to Twitter, PM Shehbaz said we will practice austerity and financially stronger people must lead in this effort so that the less privileged among us do not have to bear this burden inflicted on them by the PTI government.
Together we will overcome all the challenges with resolve and determination, InshaAllah! 🇵🇰 https://t.co/gIM7lqcjls
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 19, 2022
Auranzgeb assured the masses that PM Sharif was ‘working day and night to stabilise the economy’. Addressing the import ban, she said these items are those which are not in the use of the general public.
The list of the banned items includes automobiles, mobile phones, home appliances, fruits and dry fruits (except from Afghanistan), crockery, private weapons and ammunition, shoes, chandeliers and lighting, headphones and loudspeakers, sauces, doors and window frames, travelling bags and suitcases, sanitary ware, fish and frozen fish, carpets (except from Afghanistan), preserved fruits, tissue paper, furniture, shampoos, confectionery, luxury mattresses and sleeping bags, jams and jelly, cornflakes, toiletries, heaters, blowers, sunglasses, kitchenware, aerated water, frozen meat, juices, pasta, ice cream, cigarettes, shaving goods, luxury leather apparel, musical instruments, salon items and chocolates.
The senior PML-N leader said Pakistanis would have to make sacrifices under the economic plan, adding that the impact of these bans would be around $6 billion.
Marriyum, while taking a jibe at the former government, held Imran Khan responsible for the exponential rise in inflation, the minister termed PTI’s decision as ‘economic terrorism’.
Pakistani rupee in free-fall as dollar crosses critical Rs200 mark in interbank market
She however maintained that the PML-N government could steer the South Asian country out of the current economic crisis, saying PM Sharif is working hard to control inflation.
