Sindh, Centre to combat sale, smuggling of drugs together

Decide to launch an intelligence-based operation, increase control at borders

KARACHI: The federal and provincial governments have decided to launch an intelligence-based operation against drug peddling and smuggling. At a meeting on Friday, presided by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali and attended by Federal Narcotics Minister Shahryar Afridi and others, the Sindh government and the Centre agreed to share drug smugglers' data and increase control at borders to rid the society of the contraband.

Shah maintained that Sindh Police and the provincial excise, taxation and narcotics control department had already launched an operation against drug peddlers in the province to prevent the sale of Ice, hashish, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, opium, bhang, gutka, mainpuri and mawa, in urban centres with a particular focus on the sale of drugs in educational institutions.

"Karachi Police has shown commendable progress by arresting a large number of perpetrators and confiscating ice and other drugs," claimed Shah.

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According to the chief minister, legislation is needed to deal with gutka and mainpuri cases, and the Sindh Assembly would soon pass a bill in this regard. Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah and Sindh IGP Dr Syed Kaleem Imam pointed out that the issue needed to be controlled at the borders as according to them, there was no such factory in Sindh or Punjab where drugs were being manufactured.

They maintained that the contraband was smuggled into Pakistan from neighbouring countries.

In this regard, the federal narcotics ministers urged all federal agencies to play their due role in curbing drug smuggling and peddling and to keep the Sindh government posted on all information pertaining to the matter.

He appreciated the provincial government's efforts thus far in controlling the situation.

Others present at the meeting included Sindh Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Mukesh Chawla, Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Law, Environment and Coastal Development Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Pakistan Maritime Security Director-General Rear Admiral Zakur Rehman, Customs Chief Collector Wasif Memon, the Rangers deputy director-general, the Coastguards deputy director-general and other relevant provincial and federal officers.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2019.