ISLAMABAD: Admitting that drugs were being used in educational institutions of the country, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Tuesday informed a parliamentary committee that steps were underway to eradicate the menace from campuses.

At a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control, ANF Director (headquarters) Brigadier Basharat Malik said during three campaigns launched in 2016 the force arrested 347 people involved in supplying drugs to educational institutions besides recovery of a huge cache of narcotics from them.

Mr Malik said a special operation against drug suppliers to the students and staff of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) started on Dec 17 last year and was still underway. He said so far 11 raids had been conducted at the QAU and its surrounding areas and 14 alleged drug suppliers arrested.

He said the ANF recovered 1.6 kg hashish, 420gm heroin and 90gm cocaine during the drive.

NA body told 347 people arrested for supplying drugs to educational institutions since 2016

The standing committee meeting was chaired by Syed Javed Ali Shah in the absence of its chairman Rana Shamim.

Citing a survey conducted in 2012-13, the ANF officials said there were 6.7 drug users in the country. They said Afghanistan was the main hub of narcotics and 40 to 45pc of drugs produced in that country were smuggled out through Pakistan.

“The ANF is a force of 2,965 officials and has been taking various steps to fight against drug dealers across the country but the society also has to play its role. We have observed that many youngsters who could not get due attention and love of their parents become drug addicts,” said another ANF official.

The ANF also presented its budget proposals under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18. However, one of the committee members, Dr Arif Alvi, objected saying a majority of the projects proposed by the ANF were for Punjab, KP and Balochistan while Sindh was almost ignored.

“In Sindh, especially Karachi, there is a need for more anti-drug departments. Why the ANF has ignored this reality when we have a big coastal area,” Mr Alvi said.

The ANF sought Rs1.3 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. After the objection of the PTI member, the committee conditionally approved the budget after the ANF representatives promised that a project for Karachi would also be launched.

Earlier, the additional secretary Ministry of Interior briefed the committee about its budget proposals.

For the next financial year, the interior ministry sought Rs22.6 billion for its 36 ongoing and 58 new projects. The committee, however, deferred the proposals until the next meeting to be held on Feb 21.

The committee also took up five private member bills but deferred all of them till an input from the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Law and Justice.

The committee directed the ministries of law and interior to share their points of views so that a decision can be taken on the bills. The bills included the criminal law amendment bill 2014, moved by S.A. Iqbal Qadri, criminal law amendment 2014 moved by Dr Nikhat Shakeel Khan and criminal law amendment 2014 moved by Aliya Kamran.

While the federal witness protection bill 2015 moved by MNA Aisha Syed and the births, deaths and marriage registration amendment bill 2016 moved by MNA Asiya Nasir were also deferred.

The movers of all the bills except Asiya Nasir, who was not present, criticised the ministries concerned for their slow replies on the bills.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2017