Pindi to get second Anti-Narcotics Court

RAWALPINDI:

Approval has been granted for the establishment of a second Anti-Narcotics Court in Rawalpindi.

The number of cases pending in the existing Anti-Narcotics Force court in the Rawalpindi division has reached nearly 500, prompting the decision to set up a new court for speedy hearings and early disposal.

With this move, the number of special anti-narcotics courts in the Rawalpindi division will increase to two for the first time. The name of District and Sessions Judge Raja Ghazanfar Khan has been proposed for the second court.

He previously served as a judge of the Lahore High Court but was not regularised after one year.

The Punjab government has also created a new "Counter Narcotics Force" to curb drug smuggling and sale. Cases registered by this force will be heard by Additional District and Sessions Judge Khurshid Anjum. The existing Special Anti-Narcotics Court is authorised to hear only cases registered by the Anti-Narcotics Force.

Police stations that register narcotics cases continue to have their cases heard by regular Additional District and Sessions Judges.

In Rawalpindi district, four institutions, 37 police stations and 31 courts are engaged in efforts to eliminate narcotics, yet the number of cases continues to rise instead of declining.