'Afghan government set to end drugs menace'

Dr Nanguylai Tarzai, Ambassador of Afghanistan in Pakistan, has expressed the resolve of his government to play effective role for elimination of drug trade in his country.
He said: "There are certain problems that need to be addressed and one of them is to convince and educate people about the threats to the society from drug trade and abuse."
He was addressing the certificate distribution ceremony of anti-drug training course to Afghan law enforcers. The course was sponsored by the United Nations Organisation on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and conducted by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). It was attended by 27 members of Counter-Narcotics Police Force of Afghanistan, led by Deputy Director Lieutenant General Rehmatullah Abdullah.
The Afghan envoy said that his government is determined to curb the menace of drugs and make the society drug-frees. He said: "I am confident that with the commitment and co-operation of all parties involved in the war on drugs we will eventually emerge as winners."
He thanked RCMP and Governments of Canada and Pakistan for their co-operation in holding the course and said that this would help in eradication of drugs from Afghanistan.
Richard Will, Regional Law Enforcement Adviser, UNODC, said that "UNODC is working with Afghan Government and international partners to assist in building up a Counter-Narcotics Police, a body undergoing several changes which would shoulder much of the burden of interdicting drug trafficking."
He expressed hope that the two-week training course would make the officers better prepared to carry out their duties. He said that this training would prove beneficial not only for students but also the trainers and those who have interacted with the students.
Dennis O Bryne, First Secretary and Drug Liaison Officer of Canadian High Commission, said that narcotics trafficking, and the relentless brutality, corruption, terrorism and the human tragedy that follows in its wake is one of the greatest scourges of this era.
He said that Canada is proud to be part of reconstruction of Afghanistan. At the end, chief guest Dr Tarzai distributed certificates and shields among the participants of the course. The participants of the Course during their stay in Pakistan visited ANF HQ in Rawalpindi, ANF Regional HQ Peshawar, HQ of FC in Peshawar, Anti-Narcotics Law Enforcement School and a forensic laboratory in Rawalpindi. They also witnessed a major drugs burning event.