Committee formed against gutka, mawa business

Another committee, comprising traders and journalists, has been formed to spearhead and monitor action against the sale of mainpuri, gutka and other narcotic substances in Hyderabad.

The Sindh Information and Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon announced the committee on Wednesday.

“Action will be taken against the elements involved in the drug peddling without any discrimination,” Memon stated, with an apparent implication in his statement that the ongoing police actions were discriminatory in nature.

According to details, in the last week of March, the Sindh IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon also formed a provincial task force with its sub-wings based in the regions and the districts to lead the action against the narcotics sellers and manufacturers.

The task force was directed to enforce Sindh prohibition, preparation, manufacturing, storage, sale and use of gutka and mainpuri Act, 2019, and the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 2021.

Meanwhile, the task force and the information minister’s Hyderabad specific committee are working in addition to almost a dozen other committees and specialised wings targeting the same branch of the outlaws, including the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Sindh Excise Department, the Crime Branch, the Central Investigation Agency (CIA), the concerned police stations and the special teams of the DIGs and the SSPs.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and the Rapid Response Force (RRF) are also known to be taking action against the people involved in these illegal businesses.

The information minister formed committee, which is headed by Commissioner Hyderabad Division Bilal Ahmed Memon, held a meeting in the commissioner’s office on Wednesday and decided to launch a strong operation through the police.

The commissioner also requested the media to identify the people who are involved in those illegal businesses.

The DIG Hyderabad, DC Hyderabad, SSP Hyderabad, president and general secretary of Hyderabad press club and traders’ representatives are members of the committee.

However, neither the DIG nor the SSP attended the first meeting nor any representative of the traders was seen.