LONDON: Minister for State and Frontier Regions and Narcotics control Shehryar Khan Afridi has said that Pakistan's Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) has achieved 97 percent prosecution rate on drugs-related crimes which was the highest in the world.
Talking to London based Pakistani media and answering to their questions after a function the other day, Shehriyar Khan Afridi highlighted three achievements of ANF Pakistan which had been acknowledged by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) that his organization has achieved 97 percent persecution rate on narcotics which was the highest in the world, besides achieving the highest number of seizure of drugs in the world. He said that Pakistan has been also declared by UNDOC, a poppy free country in 2001.
"PTI government, its leadership or its social media were not claiming for these three achievements for themselves, but the UNDOC had declared and acknowledged it", he remarked. The Minister regretted that staff strength of ANF across the country was comprising only 2900 personals with only twenty-nine (29) police stations under its control in the country.
He said 85 percent drugs were produced in Afghanistan and fifty percent out of 85 percent of drugs were being smuggled by using our land route.
Shehriyar Khan Afridi said that to control this menace, Pakistan was erecting 2611 kilometers fences along Pakistan-Afganistan border to properly check the menace.
He said when he was the interior minister he formed joint teams consist of ANF, FIA, and ASF to check the menace of drugs smuggling at entry and exit points at seas, land, and airports. He said that Pakistan has succeeded in developing the data of the most wanted criminals in drug-related cases in the world.
He said that the Interpol and the developed world were now asking for sharing of data from Pakistan regarding the drugs related criminals which was also a big achievement for the country.
He on the occasion reiterated the Pakistan's government commitment of zero tolerance for the drug pushers and smugglers who would involve in the menace and given them the exemplary punishment no matter how influential they were, or sitting either in the Parliament or even in the government. "No one will be escaped from the punishment if involved in the norco-business in the country", he said.
He further reiterated that no one would be allowed to misuse Pakistan's land for drugs, or humiliate our country or compromise on the image of Pakistan in the world. " We will take strict actions against these elements and penalized them ",he remarked.
He said that Pakistan has been fighting against drugs and its pushers and has been rendering a lot of sacrifices in this regard.
He vowed that PTI government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan would ensure an honourable and respectful country for coming generations on which they should feel proud of.