President gives assent to Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has assented to the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which provides death or life imprisonment for offences related to the illicit trafficking of narcotics and psychotropic drugs of varying quantity, including heroin, morphine, cocaine, and methamphetamine (ICE).

The bill, after the president’s assent, has become the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2022.

Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Act, 2022 (the said Act) provides imprisonment which may extend to life imprisonment but not less than 20 years with a fine not less than Rs1 million for offences involving heroin and morphine of 4kg or more. The said Act also provides a punishment of death or imprisonment which shall not be less than life, along with a fine up to two million but not less than 1.5 million rupees for offences involving heroin or morphine of 6kg or more.The said Act provides punishment of death or imprisonment for life but imprisonment shall not be less than 20 years along with a fine not less than 2.5 million rupees for offences involving cocaine of 5kg or more.

The Act also provides punishment of death or life imprisonment and a fine not less than Rs2.5 million for offences involving 4kg or more of psychotropic substance methamphetamine (ICE).

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022