The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Monday asked Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) to devise a National Action Plan (NAP) to counter growing use of drugs. The committee, which met with Senator Rehman Malik in the chair, expressed concerns over reports regarding serving sachet of heroin along with cold drinks in different functions in the federal capital and directed narcotics control division and ANF to present a detail report in this regard before the committee.
Senator Rehman Malik said that the review of Afghan transit trade agreement is also mandatory for the control of drugs trafficking through Pakistan. "Taliban receive Rs 7000 extortion over each container of Afghan transit trade," Malik said. He said that in Afghanistan, 32 percent of cultivable land is under poppy and with Afghan government agencies and Taliban who have soft corner for the government.
When Director General ANF Major General Khawar Hanif informed that the total strength of anti-narcotic force is 2600, the committee recommended increase in the strength of ANF from 2600 to 5000. The committee also recommended writing separate letters to chief minister of all provinces for setting up hospitals for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
The committee also recommended the government to bind all education institutions to conduct medical test of all students and rusticate all those students from the education institutions who were found involved or positive for drug use. The committee also issued directives to call the secretaries of all partners ministers and division including Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affaris, Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Human Resources, Ministry of Development Division, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Law and justice, provincial ministries of education, heath, population welfare, youth women development to ensure their better co-ordination with ANF. The committee also recommended that all TV channels through Ministry of Information and Broadcasting spare 0.5 percent of to its time for airing program prepared for awareness against drug use.
DG ANF Khawar Hanif while briefing the committee members said that estimated 700 people die every day due to drug use while 39 people were killed every day due to terrorism across the world. The ANF has seized 1365 tons of drugs since 1995 to 2015, he said. He said that anti-narcotic force has seized 27108 kg drugs in 2014 and 62219 kg in 2015. Total area on which poppy was cultivated in 2014 was 1227 hectares while in 2015, it was 977 hectares, he said.
Hanif said that an estimated 9 million people aged between 15 to 64 years used drugs in Pakistan during last 12 months. Around 3 million people use medicines without prescription during the period, he said. He said that maximum numbers of opiates users are between 20 to 30 years of age. Senator Muhammad Ali Khan Saif said that majority of the ANF staff is incompetent therefore they need to avail the services of competent lawyers. The civilian officers working in special intelligence cell of ANF should be properly trained, he said.
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