Islamabad:
On Wednesday, the members of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly expressed a serious concern concerning the strong increase in drug addiction across Pakistan, warning that the narcotics had entered schools, colleges and even households.
The question was raised at a meeting of the committee chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz. The members of the Sharmila Faruqui committee asked why, despite the budget of 26 billion rupees from the Ministry of the Interior, drug trafficking has remained uncontrolled.
“Drugs are sold in each street and in schools, colleges and universities. We need a detailed briefing,” she asked. The president pointed out that drug pedutors were often arrested but released in a few months.
The director of the anti-narcotic force (ANF), Brig Imran Ali, informed the committee that campaigns were carried out in 263 educational establishments, leading to the arrest of more than 400 drug sellers and the crisis of 1,470 kilograms of drugs.
In 2024, he added, a total of 361 tonnes of drugs were seized nationally, whose ANF convulsions were 176 tonnes. He also declared that 19 gangs had been arrested this year and assets worth 7 billion frozen rupees.
According to Brig Imran, the ANF has operated five regional directors, 33 police stations and seven rehabilitation centers. However, he stressed that strength was still faced with labor shortages, scanning problems and limited resources.
Committee members asked why drug abuse persisted despite the operations. Qadir Patel underlined the porous borders of Balutchistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying that the narcotics continue to flow without control.
Nosheen Fatima has raised concerns about unregulated rehabilitation centers in Islamabad, calling them “a scam to plunder citizens”. The committee ordered the authorities to submit detailed measures at the next meeting.
