PM praises Navy, Coast Guards after Balochistan smuggling bid foiled

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday commended the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Coast Guards after a joint operation foiled what officials described as a major smuggling attempt in Balochistan.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the operation was carried out by the Navy and Coast Guards in coordination with the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre. Acting on actionable intelligence, the forces seized a sizeable quantity of liquor and illegal medicines, according to ARY News.

The location of the seizure was reported differently: the Associated Press of Pakistan said the operation took place in the Pashkan area, while ARY News, citing the ISPR, said Pishukan. Both outlets described the area as part of Balochistan.

Prime Minister Sharif, who is in New York to attend the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, said that inter-agency coordination was important to root out the menace of smuggling from the country. He also commended the professional competence, vigilance, and readiness of the personnel who took part in the operation, APP reported.

The prime minister's statement came after the military's media wing said the seized contraband had been handed over to the Pakistan Coast Guards for further legal proceedings.

"The successful joint operation underscores the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination in countering smuggling while highlighting the resolve of Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Coast Guards to prevent the use of Pakistani waters and land for illicit activities," the ISPR said, according to ARY News.

Neither report provided figures for the total quantity or estimated value of the seized liquor and medicines, and no arrests or details of the smuggling route were mentioned.

The ISPR statement was released in Rawalpindi, while the APP report was filed from New York, where the prime minister is attending the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The operation was announced on the same day the Pakistan Navy began its maritime exercise SEASPARK-2026 in Karachi, but official statements did not link the two events. The SEASPARK-2026 exercise, announced separately by the ISPR, tests combat readiness against conventional and emerging maritime threats, but it was not connected to the Balochistan operation.