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| April 21, 2003 | Monday | Safar 18, 1424 |
Anti-poppy cultivation drive to continue
ISLAMABAD, April 20: Balochistan Home Minister, Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, has said the operation launched by the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) to destroy poppy crop would continue till its complete eradication.
He said the government would not accept any pressure by the tribal people in this regard. Poppy cultivation was a crime and we wanted to completely abolish the curse of narcotics, he added.
The minister said this in an interview to Voice of America in connection with the clashes which took place in Gulistan, the border area of Balochistan.
Two people were injured in a clash between armed tribesmen and law enforcement agencies during the ongoing poppy fields eradication operation launched by the ANF with the help of police, Frontier Corps and the levy force in Gulistan, about 90km from Quetta. The operation was launched three days ago
The poppy growers, while lodging a protest against the operation, had been demanding compensation for the destroyed fields. Meanwhile, a number of gunmen reportedly belonging to a branch of Achakzai tribe, took positions on the mountains and blocked the Quetta-Chaman Road.
Later, the armed men vacated their positions after negotiations between the authorities of district Qila Abdullah and tribal elders of the area. The traffic on Quetta-Chaman Road was also restored.
The ANF and the FC Jawans continued their operation.
The talks between the officials and tribal leaders failed on Friday morning and gunmen again took positions on nearby mountains and opened firing which was returned by the FC Jawans.
It is reported that the tribesmen have announced that they would continue their resistance and the authorities have called more FC contingents in the area.—APP
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