ISLAMABAD: The Senate standing committee on interior and narcotics on Monday advised the federal ministry of education to conduct medical test on admission seekers to colleges and universities to ensure the students are not using drugs.

Moreover, the committee suggested that the ministry of information direct all media outlets to dedicate 0.5 per cent of their airtimes for creating public awareness about the drug abuse.

The committee meeting held at Parliament House was presided over by Senator Rehman Malik. Director General Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) General Khawar Hanif and other officials briefed the committee on the situation of narcotics in the country.

The committee was informed that eight million people between the age of 15 and 64 years used drugs during the last one year. Over three million people were using ‘addictives’ (medicines which can be used as drugs).

The committee members were informed that in 2015 as many as 324 cases of drug smuggling were registered out of which 89 per cent were decided. In 2014, around 27,100 kilogrammes and in the year 2015 as many as 62,219 kilogrammes drugs were confiscated and burnt. Assets worth Rs1.55 billion were seized and Rs1.88 billion related to drugs were confiscated.

Senator Rehman Malik said the Afghan transit trade agreement should be reconsidered. Containers going to Afghanistan under the agreement pay a nominal fee in Pakistan but when they enter Afghanistan Taliban forced them to pay $7,000 each, he said.

“Even now opium is being cultivated in 32 per cent area of Afghanistan on which the Afghan government and Taliban have control,” he said.

Drug addiction has become a major problem in the world. Even suicide attackers were given drugs by their handlers. Some suspects arrested in Karachi were found using drugs before their botched-up plans to carry out suicide attacks,he said.

Senator Shahi Syed of the Awami National Party told Dawn that some students used drugs and because of them their colleagues also became drug addicts.

“If medical test is conducted at the time of admission to educational institutions, the use of drugs among the students can be checked. We have to ensure that our youth do not become drug addicts,” he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Syed said the government always concentrated on fighting terrorism but never gave an equal importance to eliminate drug edition which was a much bigger issue.

“Drugs are smuggled from Afghanistan but there are only 2,600 officials to check the smuggling. Not only the number of security personnel should be increased but also more funding is required to stop drug peddling.” He said the international community should also support Pakistan in eliminating the use of drugs in the country.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015

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