ISLAMABAD, June 17: Federal Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat has said there are 0.5 million chronic heroin abusers in Pakistan.
In a written replay to a question raised by Mehmood Khan Achakzai in the National Assembly on Thursday, the minister said according to the national assessment study 2000, there were about 500,000 chronic heroin abusers in the country.
He said according to sections 52 and 53 of the Control of Narcotics Substances Act 1997, the responsibility for the registration of drugs addicts and their treatment and rehabilitation fell under the purview of provincial governments. However, he added, the federal government had approved the establishment of two model addiction treatment and rehabilitation centres, one each at Islamabad and Quetta, which are expected to become functional from July.
Replying another question whether the government was receiving any foreign aid for treatment and rehabilitation of addicts, Mr Hayat said $547,000 had been earmarked by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for upgradation of sixteen centres.
Responding another question raised by Razia Aziz about the steps taken by the government to control human trafficking, the minister said an ordinance had been promulgated in the year 2002 under which the culprits would be awarded 14 years' rigorous imprisonment with heavy fines.
He said during 20002-04, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered 1,055 cases while 875 persons were arrested. He said 642 cases were under investigation while 356 had been sent to courts and 64 offenders were convicted.
He said new security features had been inserted in passports and national identity cards and a machine-readable passport scheme would be implemented soon. A new computer system (PISCES) has been installed at all international airports to detect suspicious illegal immigrants and to maintain record of passengers.
He said a campaign had been launched against human traffickers from November 6, 2003. As a result, 3,102 persons were arrested and 769 convicted under relevant laws.
From 2000 to 2004, as many as 216 people were arrested from Rawalpindi and 25 of them convicted, 95 were arrested from Peshawar and 28 convicted, 828 arrested from Karachi and 258 convicted, 1,907 arrested from Lahore and 446 convicted while 56 were arrested from Quetta and 12 of them convicted.
In reply to another question raised by Liaquat Ali Dogar, Mr Hayat said action had been taken to restrict the use of pressure horns in private and official vehicles.
