Pakistan's addict population is close to four million, of whom half a million are addicted to heroin almost all of which comes from Afghanistan where yet another bumper poppy crop is expected.
Minister for Narcotic Control Ghaus Bux Maher told the Senate on Wednesday that in Pakistan thousands of acres of poppy crop was destroyed. But the figures he presented about what is being done to ensure rehabilitation of the addicts were discouraging.
He informed the house that although registration and rehabilitation of drug addicts fell in the purview of provincial governments, his Ministry, too, had established two 'Model Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Centres' at Islamabad and Quetta, each at a total cost of Rs 11.5 million. So far 499 patients had been treated and about 41 ex-addicts had been provided jobs, he said.
Maher said that the Anti-Narcotic Force was implementing a project titled 'NGOs Support Programme in Treatment and Rehabilitation and Drug Prevention' at a cost of Rs 25.7 million since July 2004, and an amount of Rs 3.75 million has been allocated for 2006-07. Under this project, a grant of Rs 3000 per NGO per patient is provided, he added.
Conceding that Kuwait had drastically restricted import of Pakistan's manpower because of narcotics smuggling, the Minister informed the house that two heroin consignments were detected by the host government, one of which was wrapped in carpets and the other concealed in a pump. But with installation of scanners at airports drug trafficking would be effectively checked, he added.
Answering another question, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Sherpao told the house that from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2005 his Ministry had issued 10,555 arms licences, of which 309 were for non-prohibited bore (NPB) weapons. To a question by Liaquat Bangalzai as to why four senators were not granted NPB licences he said that that category of licences is issued by the prime minister at his discretion.
Spelling out the criteria for issuance of arms licences he said the applicant should be income/agriculture tax payer or officer of armed forces/civil forces of BPS-17 and above or foreign diplomat or registered security company or a professional like doctor, engineer or lawyer or another organisation or individual whom the Interior minister "deems appropriate".
To a question by Enver Baig the defence minister informed the house that PIA has 18 employees including chairman in the top administrative slot. While the chairman gets after deductions monthly salary of Rs 384,802 the others get salaries between Rs 114,956 and Rs 95,437 and the 45 general managers and in equivalents grade get every month between Rs 74,459 and Rs 77,697.
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