ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) DG Maj Gen Abdul Moeed has said the force faces significant challenges in securing convictions in drug-related cases in Balochistan.
Courts in the province have repeatedly rejected forensic reports from local labs, citing lack of reliability, and even those from Punjab’s Forensic Lab have been deemed unacceptable.
The meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control was held here on Friday with Senator Hidayatullah Khan in the chair.
The provincial government has allocated funds to establish a state-of-the-art forensic lab. The ANF officials told the committee that over the past five years, 1,000 FIRs have been registered, but cases remain pending due to judicial verdicts being challenged in the Balochistan High Court (BHC).
Senator Haji Abdul Shakoor has expressed concerns about accused individuals receiving undue relief from the courts.
Meeting was informed that ANF was facing shortage of manpower. With a force of only 3,210 personnel nationwide, ANF achieved significant successes with just 450 personnel in Balochistan. The DG Maj Abdul Moeed reported the seizure of 157 metric tons of narcotics, valued at $8 billion, over recent years. The ANF operations have also led to the arrests of several foreign nationals involved in drug trafficking.
He, however, said that manpower shortages remain a critical issue, hindering the ANF’s ability to combat drug smuggling effectively.
He said 26 ANF officials have been martyred in Balochistan alone. While Afghanistan has successfully reduced poppy cultivation by 90 per cent, committee was informed that Balochistan still struggles with acres under cultivation. Drug smuggling routes through Makran contribute significantly to the trafficking problem, with 40 per cent of narcotics being smuggled to Iran and beyond.
Maj Gen Moeed also highlighted the alarming increase in drug use in educational institutes, particularly in Islamabad. Additionally, of over 300 universities identified for inspections, only 70 have been checked so far.
The ANF has emphasized the need for judicial reforms to ensure effective prosecution and conviction of drug traffickers. The lack of institutional support for combating drug smuggling remains a significant obstacle in addressing the narcotics crisis.
The committee also discussed the bill titled, “The Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” introduced by Senator Mohsin Aziz. “This bill concerns our youth, particularly our students,” stated Senator Mohsin Aziz. He explained that, given the current financial situation and the widespread availability of synthetic drugs, which are not only harmful to health but also have the potential to cause sudden death, the situation has become alarming.
The director general stated that, aside from dry ports, more than 1,000 containers are transported daily. Of these, only one or two are opened based on profiling.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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