Pakistan bans imports of luxury goods

Pakistan has banned the import of all non-essential luxury goods in a bid to stabilise the economy, the information minister said on Thursday, describing the situation as an economic emergency.

Pakistan's current account deficit has spiralled out of control and its foreign exchange reserves have tumbled while the Pakistani rupee has plummeted to historic lows against the US dollar.

"All those non-essential luxury items that are not used by the wider public, a complete ban has been imposed on their import," minister Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters.

She said the measures are to address fiscal instability, which she blamed on the previous government of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote last month over charges of mishandling the country's economy.

"There is an emergency situation in the country," she said.

Among a host of imports to be banned are cars, cellular phones, home appliances and cosmetics.