Nations face threat from drug-funded militants, criminals: Zardari

Zardari says collective action is needed to curb the illicit drug trade and keep countries from slipping into anarchy.

ISLAMABAD: Drug abuse and its illicit trafficking used to be at one point associated with just that, drug trade, which allowed its operators to make a lot of money very quickly. Today, militants and organised criminals have used this illicit revenue stream to make war and create a severe law and order situation in the sub-continent, President Asif Ali Zardari warned.

On Monday, Zardari once again called for combined action by countries regionally and internationally against illicit drugs which continue to threaten nations in many ways, including the way the lucrative drug trade has been used as a major source of funding for militants and extremist in the region.

He stated this in a message intended for the international day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking due to be observed internationally on Tuesday. Within the message, Zardari called upon government leaders, NGOs and members of the general public - to join hands in fighting the menace for the sake of regional and global peace and for the sake of protecting the society.

“The International Drugs Day is a wake up call to everyone that lack of organised and determined action against illicit drugs will only strengthen the organised criminal cartels and the militants and extremists. The countries in the region where Pakistan is located are particularly vulnerable,” he said.

He warned that unless much more attention is given to the menace, their countries will slip into anarchy and instability at the hands of drug-financed criminal gangs and militants.

Zardari pointed out this was the reason that at the SCO summit in Beijing earlier in June, Pakistan had offered to host an international conference on drugs of the member states of the Organisation.

He added that the democratic government of Pakistan is committed to fighting the illicit drugs trade, having already attained the status of poppy-free country in year 2011. Zardari said Pakistan is among the top three countries in global narcotic seizures, with interdiction of illicit drug trafficking one of the best in the world due to increased border surveillance.

He reminded that a lot still needs to be done to completely eliminate the drug menace.