Expressing
its deep concern over continuous prevalence of
drugs and narcotics in the society, the Senate
Standing Committee on Narcotics Control has directed
the Ministry of Interior, Anti-Narcotics Force
( ANF ) and other relevant Government agencies
to double their efforts to create a drug-free
society. The Committee, which met at the Parliament
House on Saturday under the Chairpersonship of
Senator Mrs Kalsoom Parveen, underscored the need
to employ a multi-pronged strategy for effecting
and simultaneously pursuing preventive and rehabilitative
strategies to achieve better results.
Measures against foreign drug smugglers urged:
The Committee asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and the ANF to ensure posting of Drug Liaison
Officers in the countries whose nationals have
been found to be involved in drug trafficking
like Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia etc in large
numbers.
Senator Mr Enver Baig and some other members of
the Committee drew the attention of the chairperson
towards the fact that a large number of Nigerian
nationals have been caught in the country on drug
charges during recent years and their number is
still increasing, expressing their surprise at
the Foreign Office for not taking up the matter
at the government level. They said that fake documents
are being presented at the time of Visa interviews
in the absence of a proper mechanism to get these
counter-checked from the Pakistani and Nigerian
Chambers of Commerce. These Nigerian nationals,
they added, continue to loiter on our streets
endangering the lives of the people once they
have served the sentences awarded to them by the
courts on drug-related charges. These persons
are even being spotted in many areas of Rawalpindi
and Federal Capital Islamabad. They wonder why
these criminals are not deported to their countries
swiftly immediately afterwards. As a con! sequence
the country is getting bad name in the media all
over the world, which prompted the European countries
to deny Visa to genuine Pakistani businessmen
and other nationals of repute.
Awareness campaign: The Senate Committee has underlined
the need to launch an aggressive campaign through
the media to enhance the level of public awareness
on the issue. It also called for vigorously pursuing
the cases of drug barons in the courts for awarding
them exemplary punishments. "Weak following
and legal lacunas are benefiting the criminals",
it observed. 'The future of our younger generation
is at stake and we can not afford to be complacent',
said the Committee members. The Senate body also
expressed its concern over easy availability of
drugs and narcotics at Mazars and Shrines especially
during the period of 'Urs' of that particular
Sufi or Saint.
The Committee endorsed the ANF's plea for more
funds and additional manpower to effectively discharge
the responsibility entrusted to it by the government.
The Committee commended the agency's role in curbing
drug flow to countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
owing to the efforts of ANF, which has also been
acknowledged by their respective Governments.
The Committee was apprised on the system in place
to check illegal entry of Narcotics in the country
encompassing information i.e. details of persons/firms
to whom No Objection Certificates have been issued
so far for import of Methyl Ethyl Ketone ( MEK
), persons who were convicted for their involvement
in the business of drugs and whose properties
were confiscated/auctioned by the Ministry of
Narcotics Control and Anti Narcotics Force ( ANF
). The issue of pre-cursor chemicals also figured
prominently during the meeting and it was emphasized
that the use should be restricted to industry
only. The Committee offered 'Fatiha' for late
Senator Mr Sarwar Khan Kakar and prayed for his
eternal salvation. The meeting was attended, among
others, by Senators Mrs Tahira Latif, Abdul Raziq,
Mir Israrullah Khan and Abdul Rahim Khan Mandokhail.
Senator Enver Baig attended the meeting as mover.
Senior officials of the Ministry of Narcotics
were also present on the occasion.
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