Due to non-release of requisite funds out of Rs 2.8 billion allocated for Master Plan of Control of Drug Abuse (1998-2003) Programme, the targets set for drug supply and demand reductions could not be achieved in the country. The government has been able to release only a sum of Rs 611 million out of total allocation of Rs 2.8 billion.
Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) Director General (DG) Major General Nadeem Ahmad told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that an amount of Rs 1.7 billion was to be used for drug supply reduction while Rs 1.1 billion was to be spent on drug demand reduction.
As a result, the objectives of master plan could not be achieved mainly due to non-availability of funds because the government had released mere Rs 611 million out of the total allocation, he added.
Earlier, addressing the two-day workshop on 'Awareness Creation Amongst District Government Functionaries', organised by the Anti Narcotics Force Punjab, ANF DG said drug traffickers were smuggling psychotropic drugs from India to Pakistan, therefore, we had asked the Indian authorities to ensure thorough checking/screening of its passengers coming to Pakistan through air or Wagha border. "Our law enforcing agencies are also using sniff dogs to check smuggling of psychotropic drugs", he said.
At present, human resources were insufficient to tackle the problem of drug trafficking, therefore we needed to increase human and technical resources to deal with the issue of drug smuggling, he added.
"We also need electronic scanners for installation at airports, while up-gradation of intelligence system is already underway", he added. All these measures would prove detrimental for drug trafficking, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Narcotics Control Federal Secretary Mian Zaheer Ahmad said number of drug addicts had increased to four million in Pakistan, out of whom half million were heroin addicts.
He said the government headed by Nawaz Sharif took effective measures for rehabilitation of drug addicts and effective steps were taken in that regard at district and tehsil level hospitals. Despite treatment of addicts, they again opted addiction due to various reasons, he added.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz recently chaired a meeting of ANF and other high ranking officials of law enforcing agencies and asked the authorities concerned to submit recommendations for carrying out comprehensive programme for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.
Talking about objectives of the workshop, he said it was aimed at apprising the district Nazims and other functionaries about the menace of drug trafficking so that they could also play their role in tackling this issue.
US Consulate Public Affairs Officer Rex Moser said the US government was collaborating with the Pakistani government in fight against drugs for the past 20 years. It was also helping in building roads and also supporting the excellent and vitally important work of the ANF.
"Pakistan has set an example to achieve poppy free status in 2000 through strategic vision and enforcement of tough 'no tolerance' policies on drugs. Even though, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of poppy cultivation in recent years and we commend the Pakistani government for its continuing efforts to curb cultivation and return to poppy-free-status", he added.
Our co-operative counter-narcotics programmes aimed to inhibit the flow of illegal drugs through Pakistan, eliminate Pakistan as a source country of poppy and heroin, and reduce the demand for illegal drugs within the country.
Escalating drug use took a devastating toll on the health, security and economic stability of all nations.
Substance abuse shattered lives, divided families and robbed people of their potential. Drug addiction knew no social boundaries and could affect both the rich and the poor, he added.
He further said reducing drug use among young people had been a top priority for the government in the US and they were now seeing result of their efforts. Drug use by teenagers in the US declined by 11 percent between 2001-03.
Despite this development, drug addiction continued to challenge the Americans. Drug users needed the support of institutions and the people who ran them to help them recognise their drug addiction and to seek treatment, he maintained.
To create a climate that tore down the stigma attached with recovery of drug addicts. Strong community networks could be developed to prevent drug abuse and support families who might be dealing with drug addiction problems, the US official said.
ANF Force Commander Brigadier Ashfaq ur Rashid said Punjab was worst hit province of the country having about 45 percent of the total addict's population. Drug traffickers due to various reasons were considering the domestic market in Punjab an attractive option, he added. If that growing problem was not addressed seriously, it might one day become uncontrollable, hence they needed to undertake well planned and serious efforts at all levels so as to ensure and implement visible and meaningful drug demand reduction activities, including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services.
During the last few years, there had been significant shift from traditional modes of drug use i e inhaling/smoking, to inject drugs and solvent abuse in the region which had also significantly contributed to increase the epidemic of HIV/AIDs. In Punjab, there were only 42 drug addict treatment centres i e five in government sector and remaining in private sector being run by NGOs and others totally on commercial basis, he added.
He further said the new district government system would create enabling environment in which people could start participating in community welfare and be masters of their own destiny.
Thus, the district government was the most appropriate forum to carry out anti drug abuse policies and operations. Special focus was being paid to sensitise district government functionaries on the subject of drug abuse prevention so that they were able to start prevention activities against drug usage including establishment of treatment and rehabilitation centres at the district level during the current financial year, the ANF Commander added.
Comments
Comments are closed.