Pakistan announces ban on import of non-essential items

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has banned the import of non-essential luxury items after the record fall of the rupee against the US dollar. The ban was announced by the government under an emergency economic plan.

The government has banned the import of 38 non-essential items, including cars, furniture and fruit jams. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the decision would save the country precious foreign exchange. "My decision to ban import of luxury items will save the country precious foreign exchange. 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," Sharif tweeted.

The action comes as Pakistan's currency plunged to the lowest ever level on Wednesday, as the US dollar for the first time in Islamabad's history went beyond PKR200 benchmark in open market.

Pakistan's Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb announced the ban while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday.

She said that Shehbaz was "working day and night to stabilise the economy" of Pakistan and this ban on the import of all non-essential luxury items, was imposed for the same.

"These items are those which are not in use of the general public," she said as she identified imported vehicles as one such item.