Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
A legislative body of Upper House of parliament on Tuesday was informed that Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested 64 foreigners involved in drug trafficking during the year 2003. In the same year, the ANF made total seizures were 73875 across the country. These revelations were made during Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control, which was held today at the Parliament House, convened by Senator Gurdeep Singh.
Briefing the committee Director General Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Major General Muhammad Aniq said the seized drugs in coordination with the provincial government and other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) from 2018 to 2023. The contribution of ANF to national efforts is reported to be 82.4 percent.
However, he emphasized the constraints of limited resources and manpower, requesting the committee members for support. He added there is a need to adopt a uniform national stance on narcotics. Senator Gurdeep Singh, the convenor of the meeting, along with other committee members, commended the efforts of the Ministry of Narcotics and ANF and assured them of their support regarding strengthening the ANF force.
The session commenced with a briefing on the functions and operations of the Ministry of Narcotics by MunirAzam, the Secretary of the Ministry of Narcotics Control. MunirAzam highlighted that the ministry plays a crucial role on both national and international fronts, emphasizing that the eradication of drug trafficking is a shared responsibility at both the national.