Drug trafficking: ‘Court’s actions drastically reduced opium smuggling’

PHC chief justice says 76% of the world’s opium is cultivated in neighbouring Afghanistan.

PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan on Thursday said the court’s actions have drastically reduced illegal transportation of opium through Pakistan.

Hearing the bail application of a petitioner arrested for allegedly transporting narcotics, Justice Khan said around 76% of the world’s opium is cultivated in Afghanistan and smugglers use various ways to transport it through Pakistan. He added substance abuse has destroyed thousands of families, claiming youth is using narcotics in great quantities nowadays.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel Advocate Noor Alam Khan informed the court his client is a poor man working on daily wages. Noor alleged Nasir Bagh police had framed him for transporting seven kilogrammes of hashish. He added his client, imprisoned at Peshawar Central Prison, is suffering from hepatitis C.



The state’s counsel, Advocate Abida Safdar told the bench the accused had hired a car and that Rs16,000 in cash was also recovered from his possession. She asked how he had this sum of money when he was working on daily wages.

Justice Khan said many people wanted to become rich overnight and were using illegal ways to do so.

The bench then directed the director general of Health Services Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to form a medical board comprising experienced doctors to diagnose the actual disease of the accused. Central Prison Peshawar Superintendent was also directed to present the accused in front of the medical board if required. The board is bound to present the medical report to the high court in 20 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2013.