President of Awami Tehreek, lawyer Vasand Thari. Photo: Courtesy — Facebook
HYDERABAD:
Awami Tehreek Chairman’s lawyer Vasand Thari on Sunday drew parallels between China’s historic opium wars and what he described as the widespread proliferation of narcotics in Sindh, saying the province is facing a “narcotics war”.
Addressing the three-day education and training workshop organized by his party in Hyderabad, Thari said the Opium War was imposed on China to subjugate the Chinese nation, and asserted that a similar strategy was now being used against Sindh through the uncontrolled spread of drugs.
He lamented that substances such as crystal meth (ice), hashish, opium, cannabis, gutka, mawa and mainpuri were openly sold on the streets as if they were ordinary goods. Thari also alleged that some police officials had already been exposed for their involvement in smuggling and supplying these substances to shops and kiosks.
“People cannot export or import even basic commodities like tomatoes, potatoes or onions to and from Afghanistan or India without restrictions, but narcotics cross borders easily,” he said, adding that the situation suggested a “well-planned narcotics campaign” targeting the province.
Thari argued that Sindh’s youth were being pushed toward drug addiction to distract them from social and political struggles, making it easier for what he called “looters” to exploit the province’s resources.
He urged civil society and intellectuals to play an active role in combating drug addiction and raising awareness about its impact on society.
Talking about water issues, the Awami Tehreek leader said the prosperity of Sindh depended on the Indus River and warned that any threat to the river was tantamount to a threat to the civilization of the province. “No outside invader has ever taken our river, but the current leaders are trying to do so,” he said.
Thari also commented on the regional situation, praising Iran’s response to what he described as an “imperialist war imposed by the United States and Israel.” He said Iran deserved support to defend its homeland against foreign aggression and claimed the country had gained a psychological advantage in the ongoing conflict. However, he criticized Western media, accusing them of adopting a partisan stance in favor of the United States and Israel.
