QUETTA: Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Azam Khan Swati on Friday called on Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani and discussed with him government efforts to purge society of the menace of drugs.

Matters of mutual concern, law and order, health and education, rehabilitation centres for drug addicts and measures against narcotics smuggling also came up under discussion at the meeting, which was attended among others by Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri, Senator Ahmed Khan Khilji and Balochistan Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Commander Brig Aaqib Nazeer.

Talking with the federal minister, Chief Minister Alyani said the provincial government was committed to the agenda of drug-free society as his government was striving for eradicating the menace from society. “Our vision is to consider drug addicts ‘victims’ and ‘patients’ rather than being criminals,” Mr Alyani said.

He said his government was making efforts to protect the health and livelihoods of families by purging the society of narcotics. He said it was government responsibility to assist the ‘victims’ and ‘patients’ in their struggle for decreasing their dependence on drugs by providing them therapy and treatment facilities of international standards.

The federal minister said perpetrators of the heinous crimes of drug manufacturing and trafficking were being dealt with under strict legal regime by the government and its supporting arm, the ANF.

Meanwhile, federal Minister for Anti-Narcotics Azam Khan Swati along with Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri visited the police stations of the ANF at Dalbandin and Nokkundi areas of Chagai district on Friday.

ANF officials briefed them about the operational, administrative affairs and security situation of the district. The minister also inspected the 1,400 kilogrammes of fine quality opium recently recovered in an operation by the ANF in Mashkel area.

On the occasion, Mr Swati also issued some instructions to the ANF officials in Dalbandin and Nokkundi areas.

Ali Raza Rind in Chagai also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2020