Ulema's help sought against poppy, drug abuse

The Federal Minister for Narcotics Control, Ghaus Bakhsh Mahar, has called upon religious scholars and the civil society leaders to take active part in eliminating poppy and drugs abuse, saying the government alone could not fully deliver the goods.
"We had tried to completely eradicate the poppy and provided free alternative crops, fertilisers, roads and electricity but even then financial benefits were forcing the farmers to produce poppy", the minister said 'Support of Ulemas against Poppy Cultivation and Drug Abuse' held here on Tuesday.
The workshop was organised by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and the Narcotics Control Department of US Embassy at a local hotel to impart know-how to religious scholars and teachers to work against the poppy cultivation and drug-trafficking in their respective areas.
The minister said that drug barons were using new techniques to enhance the poppy production benefiting the farmers. In the past, one-kg heroin was being produced out of 12-kg opium and with new techniques it was doubled, the minister maintained.
He informed the audience that governments of United States and United Kingdom have extended co-operation to Pakistan for elimination of poppy cultivation and reduction in drug-abuse. But poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and drug supply to Pakistan has ruined the efforts of the Pakistan government in this regard, he added.
The minister expressed complete dissatisfaction over performance of Afghan government in controlling the poppy cultivation, saying that increase in poppy yield would prove to be a great threat to Pakistan and other neighbouring countries He called upon religious scholars to use their influence and preach against the poppy cultivation and drug-abuse to defeat this menace.
ANF Commander (Rawalpindi Region) Brigadier Asif Alvi said that drug-abuse was causing a serious threat to social fabric of the country. One drug-addict is not only a problem for his family but also for the entire society, he added.
The government was making efforts to bring drug use under control but without proper involvement of society it would remain a dream. More than 100 religious scholars from different parts of the country were taking part in two-day workshop.