Sindh, Centre join forces against narcotics

Taskforce to clear drugs from campuses, block inter-provincial supply routes

KARACHI:

The Sindh government and the Federal Ministry of Narcotics have joined hands to eradicate drugs from society, particularly around educational institutions.

Together, they hoped to block different routes from where drugs were smuggled into Karachi by evolving a joint mechanism and deployment of concerned forces.

The chief minister approved a task force comprising himself and the federal minister for interior to monitor the situation once a month and formed committees with representation from the Anti-Narcotics Force as well as the Sindh and Excise police to conduct intelligence-based crackdowns on drug smugglers and peddlers.

These decisions were taken in a meeting held at the CM House and it was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah with his team as well as Federal Minister for Narcotics Nawabzada Shahzain Bugti and his team.

Those who attended the meeting included ANF Commander Brigadier Viqar Haider, Major Mohammad Ali and Abdul Salam Khetran.

The CM was assisted by Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah, Minister for Excise and Narcotics Mukesh Chawla, Minister for Social Welfare Sajid Jokhio, Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab, IG Sindh Mushtaq Maher, Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon, IG Prison Kazir Nazir, secretary excise, and others. CM said that use of narcotics was increasing at an alarming rate in society.

“The slum areas serve as breeding grounds for drug abuse and trafficking, ‘’ Shah continued. “The slums of Lyari and Sohrab Goth are the main hub of narcotics activity in Karachi.”

Additional IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon said that many men and women were using various narcotic substances in colleges and universities. According to him, there was a strong nexus between narcotics and crime. Most of the street criminals are narcotics addicts. Narcotics supply routes The meeting was told that the narcotics were neither cultivated nor manufactured in Sindh.

Narcotics reach into Karachi through four different routes. They are from Balochistan through Qambar, Larkana, Dadu and Jamshoro to Karachi. Another route is from Balochistan through Quetta, Sorab, Khuzdar, Wadh, Uthal,Gadani and Hub and then onto Karachi. The third route is from Punjab through Kashmore and it reaches Karachi via Shikarpur, Larkana, Dadu and Jamshoro.

The fourth route is from Punjab through Sadiqaba and reaches Karachi via Pano Aqil, Sukkur, Khairpur, Hyderabad and Thatta. Shah said that the Sindh Assembly had passed Control of Narcotics Substance (Sindh Amendment) Bill-2021. He added that the new the amendment has included the use of synthetic drugs as a crime.

The additional IG told the meeting that 1,714 narcotics peddlers have been identified. Of them, 396 were in jail, 440 on bail and 878 at large. The IG Prison Qazi Nair told the meeting that 22,970 prisoners, including 346 drug users and 22,624, drug traffickers have been confined in different prisons of the province.

“Out of 346 drug users, two have been convicted, while out of the 22,624 drug traffickers, 727 have been convicted,” it was disclosed. Correctional facilities According to IG Prisons, the drugusing prisoners are kept in separate wards and they are regularly visited by specialists of the health department and prison medical officers. They are provided with proper medication.

Wards have been established inside the prison to keep addicts separate from the other prisoners. Strict search/vigilance is carried out to prohibit entry of narcotics inside the prison and articles brought by the prisoners and their visitors are thoroughly checked.

Rehabilitation Centres The chief minister said that his government had established two rehabilitation centers: at Haryana Colony Orangi and Landhi. He added that he allocated four more buildings for drug rehabilitation centers: These included the Sports and Youth Affairs Development center Malir, Pak Colony, a 100-bed hospital in New Karachi and KMC Leprosy Hospital in Manghopir.