Ensuring narcotics-free society: Senate body wants drug liaison officers abroad

The Senate Committee on Narcotics has demanded of the foreign affairs ministry to appoint drug liaison officers in countries with high incidence of drug trafficking such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, etc.
The demand was made after complaints lodged by Enver Baig and a few other Senators drew the attention of Kulsoom Perveen, then chairing the meeting, that many Nigerian nationals have been nabbed on drug charges, and yet their numbers went on increasing. Yet the foreign ministry was not bringing this matter to the notice of the Nigerian government, he added.
Further, Nigerian nationals, who complete their sentences, are allowed to loiter on our streets, even in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which puts the lives of Pak citizens at risk. Why are these criminals not deported? asked Baig, and other Members of the Committee, who also said, 'for default action of Nigerians, Pakistan was getting bad image in European countries.'
Baig said visa cases were processed on the basis of false documents without counter-checking the information from Pakistani and Nigerian Chambers of Commerce.
The Committee, while reviewing the progress of the Interior Ministry and other concerned departments of the government, formed an opinion that these departments were slow in carrying out the entrusted task of ensuring a drug-free society, and instead of progress they saw increasing number of youths falling prey to the menace because of the absence of employing multi-directional approach of controlling the evil.
The Senate Committee also demanded an aggressive campaign through the media to increase public awareness of this issue. In addition, it asked the Interior Ministry to vigorously pursue cases against drug barons who should be handed down exemplary punishments. It condemned weak follow-up and legal lacunae that benefit criminals, it observed. In fact, the Committee expressed dissatisfaction that pernicious drugs were freely available during Urs ceremony at venerable places such as Mazars and shrines of religious persons.
After being at the job during the previous government, the ANF utilised the occasion of reviewing their activities to ask more funds and manpower to discharge the responsibility. The department tendered information that their work has curbed drug flow in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and that properties of a few persons had been confiscated. These persons were misusing the import of Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK). After completing its business, the Committee offered 'Fateha' to bless the soul of departed Senator Sarwar Khan Kakar.