ISLAMABAD, June 26: Pakistan on Sunday joined the rest of the world in observing the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The purpose of the day is to reiterate the commitment to fight against narcotics and create greater awareness about drug abuse.

Although drug abuse affects all aspects of a society, it is harder to combat in developing countries.

According to a survey, Pakistan has a large number of addicts with the majority of them aged between 15 and 35 years.

Maj Gen Nadeem Ahmed, director general of the Anti-Narcotics Force(ANF), told a private television channel on the occasion of Anti Narcotics Day that the government was committed to eradicating poppy and all kinds of drugs in the country.

He claimed that the anti-narcotics force was not only eradicating poppy but was also trying to rehabilitate and treat the drug addicts and those dependent on narcotics.

Punjab chief of the anti-narcotics force Brig Ashfaqur Rasheed Khan told state-run Pakistan Television that so far about 65 persons had been sentenced to death by various courts in connection with drug smuggling. These cases are in the appeals stage.

To observe the day, Pakistan Customs preventive collectorate on Sunday torched 2,000 kgs of hashish and 300 kgs of heroin at Neelam Point, Hawkesbay, on the occasion of World Environment Day in Karachi.

A customs official torched a large quantity of narcotics. A large number of senior officers and officials of customs were also present on the occasion.

—APP