I won’t act against student drug users: Sindh excise minister

Chawla says issue is outside his domain, should be dealt with by education minister

KARACHI: No action would be taken against the use of drugs at educational institutions across the province, as

Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla expressed his inability to take action on an issue outside of his domain.

This was stated during the Sindh Assembly session on Thursday.

He accepted that there is a growing trend of drug use at private educational institutions in Sindh but said, “No one sells drugs inside the schools”.

He justified that his department was not the only one responsible for curbing narcotics’ use in the province and the police, anti-narcotics force, among others, were equally responsible for starting crackdowns against the menace.



Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani suggested Chawla coordinate with the education minister and other stakeholders to take action against drug use among children.

Education Minister Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar was of the view that drugs are not used in government schools, but are a common practice at elite private schools. Former information minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said the issue was not limited to Karachi; drugs were being used by students throughout the country.

“There are different kinds of drugs being used by students throughout the country, “he said, adding that drugs are not being sold inside schools. He said students purchase drugs from markets.

A few days ago, Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced annual province-wide blood screening for students enrolled in both government and private schools.

Forensic science bill

The assembly passed the Sindh Forensic Science Agency Bill, 2017 to establish a facility for forensic examination of material, including documents, equipment, impressions or other objects. The bill was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro.



According to the law, a search committee, headed by the chief secretary, will be formed with the secretaries of the home, finance and services departments as its members to appoint the director-general (DG) of the forensic agency. The DG must have prior experience of at least 10 years and will hold office for a term of five years, but the government can extend his term. Forensic experts will be appointed to conduct examinations of forensic material.

“A court, tribunal or authority may send to the agency forensic material related to investigation or proceedings for examination and expert opinion. The agency, within 30 days of receipt of material, must authenticate and send expert opinion,” the law says. If any finding of the report is unclear, the DG can constitute a panel of three or more experts to re-examine the material and submit the findings within 45 days.

The law says that if an expert or official of the agency knowingly or negligently renders a false, incorrect or misleading opinion before a court, tribunal or other authority or intentionally destroys forensic material, he shall be punished with one year imprisonment or a fine Rs100,000 or both.

Appeal made

Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Sorth Thebo appealed to the daughters of Benazir Bhutto to take notice of the Pakistan Peoples Party MPA who has been humiliating her.



“Unfortunately, a ruling party member has used derogatory language against me, calling me ‘mental’ because I have spoken against corruption and land grabbing,” she accused, adding that various allegations have been levelled against her because she exposed the government’s corruption.

“I hope Benazir’s daughters will take action,” she said, without disclosing the name of the MPA.

Zardari’s birthday

The assembly also adopted a resolution paying tribute to PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari on his 62nd birthday. Most of the PPP members in their speeches lauded the former president’s services for the cause of democracy.  The resolution was moved by Khuhro, who is also the party’s Sindh president.

The assembly also passed a unanimous resolution denouncing the rape of a 13-year-old girl in Rajanpur, Punjab.  The resolution, moved by PPP MPA Khairunisa Mughal, demanded the Punjab government take action against the rapists who sexually assaulted the girl and held a jirga that decided such a heinous punishment for the girl.