Drugs, contraband worth $695m destroyed
Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) on Saturday set fire to drugs worth $695 million during a ceremony held near Hasan Shah Mazar in the Port Qasim area.
Guests from various walks of life including military and civil officers, international community and artists participated.
The drugs eliminated in a bonfire included hashish, heroin, crystal, opium and meth ice. Other prohibited substances destroyed during the occasion included betel nuts, packets of Indian gutka, Indian naswar and bottles of liquor.
Coast Guards Brigadier Ghulam Abbas said the institution faces many challenges while protecting the 1,000 km long coastline.
Singer Hasan Jahangir said that drugs are hollowing the roots of the society. As a parent, monitoring the activities of children has become an important need of the time. Former Test captain and batsman Javed Miandad said that addiction of the youth to drugs is a major reason for poverty.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 12th, 2023.