Staff Reporter
Peshawar
Federal Minister for Anti-Narcotics, Azam Khan Swati Monday said no compromise would be made on purging society from the curse of narcotics and a weekly report from all divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be obtained regarding actions against big fishes of narcotics business for taking them to the task. Talking to media persons at Anti- narcotics force police station at Mansehra, he categorically said that big fishes of narcotics smuggling and business will be presented before the court of law for exemplary punishment.
In this religious and moral task, he said political and social figures should also play their crucial role. The Minster maintained that the journey of change will be taken to the doorstep of narcotics dealers adding the government’s mission is to put these criminals behind the bar. He said Anti-narcotics Force (ANF) was managing and controlling six districts from Mansehra and a system was being devised to receive a weekly report on actions against narcotics dealers.
He said after 18th Amendment it has become the duty of provinces to take indiscriminate action against narcotics dealers in their respective areas. The spread of narcotics, he said was a tragedy for our youth adding that to cope with this menace all political and social figures should extend all out support to the government.
Earlier, Commander Anti-narcotics force, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Brigadier Mateen Ahmad Mirza gave a detailed briefing to the Minister on actions against narcotics dealers and assured that a weekly report in this regard will be presented to the ministry.
The minister further clarified that to purge out the curse of narcotics from society, the government was following zero-tolerance policy adding all available resources would be utilized to keep every house, educational institution and public place from the effects of narcotics. He said that the Prime Minister has reposed trust in him by handing over him this ministry adding he would leave no stone unturned to take forward this task in accordance with the PM’s aspirations.
He urged the media to sensitize people against narcotics and its negative effects on society. He said last month narcotics worth 8000 million dollars were confiscated while the other day narcotics worth Rs 500 million were seized in Lahore. The Minister maintained that he would visit from Karachi to Kohistan and to Khyber as part of his endeavors to eliminate this nuisance from the country. Everyone from the society, he said, has to play a role against the narcotics adding this was a very sensitive issue and needed serious efforts to combat. He said narcotics were like termites that eat up something from inside out and we have to save our generations from this pest at all cost.
