Pakistani Offensive Against Taliban Pushes Tribesmen Off the Land and Threatens Their Hash-Based Livelihood PESHAWAR , PAKISTAN - For decades, Taj Muhammad Afridi had been making stoners mellow around the world. By now, at his family homestead in the Tirah Valley in Pakistan's tribal belt, hundreds of marijuana plants should be full-grown, some as tall as a one-story house. The traditional harvest would be in October, and that's when Afridi would start making some of the world's most sought-after hashish. [continues 1220 words]
Secretary Narcotics Control spells out steps Interview Kaswar Klasra Monday, July 13, 2015 - Islamabad-Meet the man whom Nawaz Sharif led federal government picked up last year in November as federal secretary Narcotics Control tasking him to save million of Pakistanis from the brunt of Afghan drug. Sitting on an un-easy wooden chair and putting on black Shalwar Kameez, Pakistan's national dress, Ghalib A Bandesha looked fresh and well determined. Coming from Police Service of Pakistan, Ghalib A Bandesha's excellent service record and achievements as head of 'Federal Investigation Agency' prompted higher authorities to appoint him as federal secretary Ministry of Narcotics Control which deals with making policies to counter ever growing use of drugs by country's youth and transit of Afghan drug worth multi-billion US dollars from Pakistan through various routes especially air and sea. [continues 675 words]
QUETTA: Canadian High Commissioner Heather Cru-den and UNODC Representative in Pakistan Cesar Guedes handed over essential operational equipment to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) of Balochistan. The assistance package comprising high-powered binoculars, night-vision devices and personnel safety equipment was received by Brig Adnan Azim, the ANF Commander of Balochistan. The Canadian High Commissioner acknowledged challenges of drug trafficking being faced by Pakistan as the main transit country and the first line of defence. "I sincerely hope that the equipment will add strength to the ANF's operational capacity against drug trafficking in the country, which will have a greater impact on the world at large," she said. [continues 134 words]
QUETTA- Canadian High Commissioner, Ms. Heather Cruden, and UNODC Representative in Pakistan, Mr. Cesar Guedes Thursday handed over essential operational equipment to the ANF Balochistan. The assistance package comprising of high powered binoculars, night vision devices and personnel safety equipment was received by Brigadier Adnan Azim, Force Commander ANF Balochistan. Staff from UNODC Pakistan and Canadian High Commission Islamabad were also present on the occasion. The Canadian High Commissioner acknowledged the challenges of drug trafficking being faced by Pakistan as the main transit country and first line of defence. [continues 193 words]
Sir: The statistics of drug abuse in Pakistan, compiled by the report 'Drug Use in Pakistan, 2013', has shocked the legal and medical fraternities. According to this report, more than 4.2 million people are suffering from drug addiction. Most of the time habit-forming drugs are used for recreational purposes. With time, the body demands frequent use, until a time comes when the person can no longer function normally in the absence of such drugs. In Pakistan, opium extracts (hashish and heroin) and Indian hemp are commonly used items. Criminology directly links social crimes and law and order situations to drug usage. The repetitive use of these chemicals causes psychological dependence. When financial and legal constraints make drugs unobtainable, people show violent behaviour and resort to theft, robbery, abduction for ransom, targeted killing and other street crimes. Sociology too blames addiction for disturbing social peace and progress. [continues 105 words]
HAFIZABAD-The district administration has stressed the need for preparing a comprehensive and integrated plan by the government departments, NGOs and parents to eliminate the menace of drugs and drug addiction which has ruined most of the families. While addressing the meeting of District Anti-Narcotics Committee, he stressed that drug peddlers deserved zero leniency but drug addicts deserved wholehearted sympathies so that they could be rehabilitated and make them useful citizens. The meeting was also addressed by DO (Cord) Allah Ditta Warraich, EDO (Education) Mehr Muhammad Ashraf Harl, DO (Excise & Taxation) Naeem Ahmad, District Officer (Health) Dr Mumtaz Ahmad, DO (Social Welfare) Muhammad Nawaz Gohar, DO (Sports) Majid Hussain, Assistant Director Atif Imdad Tarar. [continues 117 words]
Teachers can play a significant role in creating awareness among students about drug abuse in Pakistan. This was said by International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI) President Dr Sahibzada Sajidur Rehman while addressing a public awareness seminar at the old campus of the university, said a press release. The event was organised by the IIUI's Psychology Department. The department's dean, Dr NB Jumani, Acting Psychology Chairperson Dr Seema Gul, Assistant Professor Dr Tahir Khalily and a large number of students attended the seminar. [continues 120 words]
LAHORE - The use of drugs means to invite death. All the members of society should have an eye on drug addiction and work hard to stop the addicts from using drugs. Only the teachers can create awareness among the new generation about the bad effects of drugs on their lives. Smoking of cigarettes and Shesha are dangerous trends that lead to drug addiction and then to ultimate end that is death. The need of the hour is to create awareness among the masses specially youth about the dangers of addiction. [continues 666 words]
It's 2:30 am and the party is still going strong. Several young, well dressed couples sit around one of the many tables that surround the dance floor. On the surface of the table, amid an array of glasses are three bottles of Black Label, of which only one is now half-full. A girl in a short red dress leans towards her boyfriend who is wearing an Armani suit and slurs: "Honey, I think I'm a little too drunk..." [continues 3147 words]
Umer Gul could very easily pass for just another addict on the unforgiving streets of Karak in Khyber-Paktunkhwa. Dressed in a filthy shalwar kameez and scratching his nose, he wanders aimlessly. Suddenly, he stops short, stares at nothing in particular then starts mumbling to himself. Eight years ago he was quite different -- a well-dressed, cheerful young man with a bright future ahead of him. But even that sad story is one that a great deal of addicts and their families could identify with. [continues 729 words]
Women Drug Pushers Make Mockery Of Law * 198 accused issued arrest warrants for not appearing before court in 2011 ISLAMABAD: Taking disadvantage of leniency of laws most of females accused of drug pushing in capital have fled after obtaining bails from the district court to deflect appearance before courts for next time, and above all majority was found again in this nefarious crime. A thorough examination of record at district court of the current year revealed that district court issued arrest warrant of 198 women for not appearing before court after getting bails in the cases of narcotics and other drug related cases. [continues 325 words]
ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Narcotics Control (MoNC) in collaboration with different universities has launched an awareness campaign to control the use of drugs in educational institutions of the country. The official of the Narcotics Ministry held a series of meetings with the Vice Chancellors of the universities and discussed the agenda points. An official of Narcotics Ministry told APP here on Sunday that management of the universities has agreed to implement the drug control plan in their respective institutes. He said that the main objectives of the campaign is to control the use of drugs including smoking and other contraband inside the colleges and universities. He further said that it was decided to arrange seminars and lectures regarding drug abuse to educate the students about its hazardious effects. app [end]
KARACHI: Over 90 percent out of 30,000 street children in the metropolis are addicts of different drugs while 74 percent of these addicts are involved in either glue sniffing or hashish and 15 percent consume heroin. In relation to reason for drug use, newly runaway street children start using drugs owing to peer pressure of colleagues to forget their previous life memories, prevent themselves from cold, get confidence, ease hunger pain and forget fear, anxiety & sadness. After becoming drug addict, they need money to buy narcotics, thus they start begging and utilizing other illegal means of income. [continues 988 words]
On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, there is no better way for the government to renew its commitment to a narcotics-free society than by having the cabinet approve the new national anti-narcotics policy. It was in 2000-01 that we eradicated poppy cultivation and achieved poppy-free status, thanks to the first anti-narcotics policy, 1993. However, with no new policy, success in reducing the production of narcotics in the 1990s was not matched by similar progress on the drug-trafficking and drug-addiction fronts. [continues 227 words]
ISLAMABAD-Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the present democratic government, which has assigned the highest priority to control narcotics, is committed to achieve the goal of a drug-free Pakistan. "The government has initiated some far reaching policy measures as a new vision for Counter Narcotics", Gilani said in a message on the occasion of International Drugs Day, observed every year on June 26. The Prime Minister mentioned the measures such as the formulation of new Narcotics Control Policy, launching of an Inter Agency Task Force headed by Director General, ANF and comprising all Federal and Provincial Law Enforcement agencies for better coordination and implementation of counter narcotics strategy. [continues 475 words]
ISLAMABAD (APP) - Chairman Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) Suhail Ahmed said that the drug ramifications range from increase in crime, injustice, inflation in certain cases, and financing of terrorism. He stated this while addressing the drug destruction ceremony organized by Customs formations Rawalpindi on the eve of international Day against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking here. Chairman FBR said customs officials are prepared to thwart any attempt of Narcotics smuggling. The Chairman said that the Directorate General FBR has chalked out a holistic multi-pronged strategy to combat the menace of drugs completely. [continues 293 words]
ISLAMABAD-The Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) has arrested 1018 smugglers including 151 foreigners and recovered more than 14,967 kg opium and 1312 kg heroin besides a large quantity of morphine and hashish during 2008-09. According to a senior official of the Ministry of Narcotics Control, a number of steps are being taken by the ANF to stop smuggling of narcotics and effective patrolling system has been introduced for this purpose. Regarding details of the quantity of drugs recovered from smugglers including Pakistanis and foreigners during from 2008 to March 2009, he said that the ANF recovered heroin (1108.419 kg.-in 2008 and 203.755 kg in 2009), morphine (3610.250 kg in 2008 and nil in 2009), opium (14779.680 kg in 2008 and 188.150 kg in 2009), hashish (54662.155 kg in 2008 and 13751.598 kg in 2009) and cocaine (7.310 kg in 2008 and nil in 2009). [continues 91 words]
RAWALPINDI: Anti Narcotics Force (ANF), Rawalpindi Region, seized a sizable quantity of drugs and arrested 118 alleged drug traffickers, including 15 foreigners, during 10 months of the current year. Sources in the force told Daily Times that over 160 kg fine quality heroin, 3,300 kg hashish and 4 kg opium was seized during this period. Around 100 smugglers were arrested from Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Airport alone while trying to smuggle drugs to other countries. The force also raided different spots including bus stations, hotels and houses to arrest the smugglers. [continues 112 words]
A Pakistani court has sentenced an Ontario woman to 25 years in prison after heroin was found in a suitcase the mother of three claimed was not hers. Deborah Kerr of Brighton, Ont., was sentenced for drug trafficking on Wednesday, Foreign Affairs official Alain Cacchione confirmed yesterday. A co-accused was acquitted, he said. Kerr, 36, was en route to Canada when she was arrested at an Islamabad airport on Feb. 1, 2007. Authorities discovered 6.2 kilograms in luggage near to where Kerr was standing. Canadian officials who ensured Kerr received proper legal counsel overseas said yesterday they were awaiting confirmation from Pakistan that Kerr would appeal her sentence. [continues 250 words]
Whilst the world was celebrating World Anti-Narcotics Day on June 27 by organising seminars and conferences with loud woes of resolve to end the menace, in the south of Helmand province of Afghanistan Gul Bibi (18) was being sold to the local land owner as a 'opium bride' by her father for just a few thousand dollars. Her father was indebted to a land owner with a promise to repay at the harvest time. With the opium eradication drive by the government and allied forces, his field was also destroyed, leaving him nothing to pay back the loan. Opium flowers would continue to grow and multiply, till the spring of poverty, violation of human rights and deterioration of socio-economic situation of the natives would complete its interval in Afghanistan. [continues 1095 words]
Inside Pakistan
