Pakistan bans imports of ‘non-essential’ goods

THE WHAT? Pakistan has closed its borders to non-essential goods, according to a report published by Reuters, forbidding the import of luxuries in a bid to stabilize its economy.

THE DETAILS Cosmetics, cell phones, electrical appliances and cars are among the foreign-made luxury items barred from the country. The ban has no set time limit.

THE WHY? Pakistan is battling a ‘spiralling’ deficit with the rupee hitting record lows against the US dollar. The measures are designed to address this problem. Federal Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb told the press, per Reuters, “All those non-essential luxury items that are not used by the wider public, a complete ban has been imposed on their import.”