Operations across higher education institutions: Over 1,400 kgs of narcotics seized, NA told

ISLAMABAD: In a sweeping campaign aimed at curbing drug use among university students, the authorities have seized more than 1,400 kilograms of narcotics in operations carried out across the country’s higher education institutions, the National Assembly was informed on Friday.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, responding in writing during question hour, said the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had launched a targeted crackdown on campuses, conducting 269 operations across 263 universities nationwide.

The effort, he added, resulted in the seizure of 1,427 kilograms of illicit substances and the arrest of 426 individuals suspected of involvement in drug trafficking networks operating within or around educational institutions.

The campaign reflects growing alarm within the government over what officials describe as a disturbing uptick in drug consumption among students – a trend seen as a threat to both public health and the integrity of academic spaces.

While the government has voiced concerns for several years, efforts to quantify the problem have been hampered by a lack of data. Pakistan’s last national drug use survey, conducted over a decade ago, did not include educational institutions, Naqvi acknowledged.

In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered a new nationwide survey focused specifically on youth and campus drug use. The initiative is being led by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics(PBS) and is expected to be completed by 2026.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025