ISLAMABAD, July 30: The United States has slashed by 20 per cent its grant for Pakistan’s Narcotics Control Programme (NCP) and would reduce it further in the coming years, sources in the Ministry of Narcotics Control told Dawn on Sunday.

The sources said the US decision to cut the grant would affect Pakistan’s efforts against drug smuggling, especially from Afghanistan border where a record poppy cultivation had been reported. The ministry received Rs43 million US grant for narcotics control last year which has been reduced to Rs35 million for the current year.

When contacted, Federal Minister for Narcotics Affairs Ghaus Bux Maher confirmed that the US Narcotics Affairs Section had reduced the grant by 20 per cent. “The US government had intimated us that it would cut down the grant,” the minister said.

The source said the US authorities had decided to gradually terminate the grant arrangements.

According to a document, the US provided Rs57.233 million grant for narcotics elimination during 2004-5 but for 2005-6 it was reduced to Rs43.6 million.

Out of the total Rs43 million released last year, Rs0.63 million were provided for operational support to the Narcotics Control Division, Rs3.675 million were given to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Headquarters, Rs19.07 million were released to the ANF’s Special Investigation Cell, Rs0.96 million were given to the ANF’s Regional Directorate (RD) Rawalpindi, Rs2.620 million to the RD Lahore, Rs2.131 to the RD Karachi, Rs2.687 to the RD Quetta, Rs2.429 million to the RD Peshawar, Rs1.351 million were provided for the demand reduction programme and Rs1.288 million for poppy survey.

Some law enforcement agencies also received US grant for drug control last year.