10 February 2005	Thursday	30 Zilhaj 1425

ISLAMABAD, Feb 9: The United States will cooperate with Pakistan in its efforts to eradicate drug production and curb smuggling by monitoring and sharing information about drug barons , US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator Karen P. Tandy said during a meeting with Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao here on Wednesday.

The US official, who is currently visiting Pakistan, appreciated the efforts of the government and hoped that desired results would be achieved through sustained efforts.

She stressed the need for further extending the already existing mutually beneficial ties between the US and Pakistan, saying these ties should be further strengthened, particularly in the field of counter-narcotics. "The United States has been rendering and will continue to render all possible material and logistic supports," she said.

Ms Tandy praised the efforts put in by the Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for active prosecution of the drug smugglers within the country and assured full support to the noble efforts of the force.

Mr Sherpao informed the US delegation that the government of Pakistan had approved a master plan for control of drug abuse with a total outlay of Rs2.832 billion out of which Rs1.072 billion had been allocated for the drug demand reduction component alone.

The government had approved two Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres at a cost of Rs22.52 million each, one at Islamabad and the other at Quetta, for the treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration of drug addicts, the minister said.

"We have a close monitoring system for drug eradication and formed joint working groups with neighbouring countries to ensure zero per cent narcotics in society," he said.

Mr Sherpao said Pakistan would be quite willing to work with other international agencies for common goals. "Narcotics are now an international problem and we need to pool our resources to fight narcotics."

The DEA administrator also visited the ANF headquarters, Rawalpindi, where the force's Director-General Maj-Gen Nadeem Ahmad, briefed her about the working of the ANF and the narcotics situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

During the briefing, the delegation was apprised of the ANF role as a supervisory, coordinating and advisory body in the field of narcotics.

The ANF is responsible for supply reduction, inquires/investigates into the assets of drug barons, pursues legal cases and is active in enhancing international cooperation and reducing the demand of drugs through a preventive education campaign.

The US team was informed that in 2003-04 the total area under drugs cultivation in Pakistan was 6,694 hectors out of which 78 per cent was eradicated.

During the year 2004, 7,783kg of heroin, 679kg of opium and 57,111kg of hashish had been captured by the ANF and total assets worth $68.448 million frozen.

The ANF chief informed the delegates about the drug situation in Afghanistan and expressed his concern over the record cultivation of poppy in neighbouring Afghanistan. He called for world community's help to join hands in destroying poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. He, however, expressed satisfaction over the performance of the ANF in combating drug smuggling from Afghanistan into Pakistan, and said they were fully alive to the nefarious designs of drug barons to traffic heroin and other drugs from Afghanistan into Pakistan and thence to other countries in the Middle East, Europe and the US.

About the drug abuse situation in Pakistan, the DEA administrator was informed that there were approximately four million drug addicts in the country out of which 0.5 million were heroin addicts and 60,000 were injecting drug users.