Seeking funds for ANF from US, European countries: Senate body asks government to prepare strategy

The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Wednesday recommended to the government to prepare a strategy for demanding funds from US and other European countries for Anti Narcotic Force (ANF), which is fighting drug trafficking along Pakistan-Afghanistan porous boarder, as 98 percent of drug are going to these countries from Afghanistan.
The committee met here with Senator Talha Mehmood in the chair. Senator Gul Muhammad Lot, Senator Mukhtiar Ahmad Dhamrah, Senator Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hassani, Senator Shahi Syed, Senator Begum Najma Hameed, Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Haji Khuda Bux Rajar, Secretary Ministry of Narcotics Control Javed Iqbal, Director General (DG) ANF Major General Malik Zafar Iqbal and other senior official attended the meeting.
Talha Mehmood directed the secretary Ministry of Narcotics to prepare a detailed working paper for making demands for funds from US and other European countries for ANF, which is fighting drug trafficking along Pakistan-Afghanistan boarder single handedly.
Senator Sardar Fateh Muhmmad said that ANF personnel were performing duties along 2538Km long Pak-Afghan and 909Km Pak-Iran borders to curb drug trafficking to US and other European countries, "therefore we must demand funds from these countries." "We are fighting war against drug trafficking for the protection of these countries therefore they should provide funds to Pakistan," he said.
Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi said that they needed to make demand from US and other European countries as 98 percent drugs from Afghanistan were going to these countries. Federal Minister Haji Khuda Bux Rajar said that the government needed to provide extra funds and personnel to Ministry of Narcotics control to fight this menace. "Ministry of Narcotics and ANF are currently facing shortage of funds and force due which they are unable to control spread of drugs in the urban areas of the country," he said.
DG ANF Zafer Iqbal said that the alarming drug production in Afghanistan is the main factor of influencing drug situation in Pakistan. Over 90 percent of the world opium is produced in Afghanistan, which is also the world's largest producer of Hashish.
Pakistan geographic location next to Afghanistan places her in a vulnerable position to be exploited as a transit corridor for drugs being trafficked to other parts of the world, particularly to west and within the country for proliferation in Pakistani society, he added.
Zafer said that ANF was countering the menace of drug through three pronged strategy on supply reduction, invigorated and strengthened law enforcement, demand of reduction through accelerated initiatives and international co-operation. "The ANF plays an important role in eradication of production, smuggling, trafficking and control of narcotics and illicit psychotropic substances," he added.
He said the ANF investigates and prosecutes all offences relating to preparation, production, manufacture, transportation, illicit trafficking or smuggling of intoxicants, narcotics and chemical precursors. ANF also trace and freeze the assets, provide assistance and advice to other enforcement agencies on all matter in the field of narcotics as well as collect information from all national and international enforcement agencies about illicit narcotics traffic and traffickers. It maintain liaison with all national and international narcotics authorities organisations.
He said that ANF was responsible to cover the entire country having five regional directorates with 25 police stations, covering seven major entry and exits points, 13 airports, three sea and 13 dry ports. He said that as per the latest UNODC estimates 44 percent of the Afghan opiates pass through Pakistan, 31 percent through Iran and 25 percent through Central Asian Republics. There are four to five millions drug addicts in Pakistan, he added.
ANF DG said that presently poppy crop in Pakistan is under control (1000 hectares below considered zero) and a poppy-free state since 2011. Total 255 heroin labs have been destroyed and no heroin laboratory exists in Pakistan soil since 2006, he said. Joint Secretary Main Meher said that government had earmarked Rs 1376.653 in the budget 2012-2013 for the ministry of narcotics control division. Out of the total allocations, Rs 195.218 million has been allocated for the various projects of the Ministry, Rs 1165.830 for ANF, Rs 13 million for National Fund for Control of Drug Abuse, Rs 6 million for the minister discretionary grants and Rs 2.005 million contribution to international organisations.