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ANF strength to be doubled

LAHORE: The Regional Director Anti-Narcotic Force (ANF) Brigadier Yasub Ali Dogar on Tuesday said that as a result of sincere and dedicated efforts to curb drugs trade by the present Government, Pakistan has not been included in drugs supporting countries which has enhanced national image abroad. Dogar pledged commitment of his organisation to purge society of drugs and added certain "influential drug lords" had been nabbed or extradited.

He pointed out that it was for the first time that Government allowed free-hand to the Anti-Narcotic Agency to carry out its duties. The Regional Director ANF said with a view to curbing drugs trade in Balochistan and other remote areas, the Anti-Narcotic Force had been equipped with helicopters and other sensitive equipments.

Referring to narcotic seizure Dogar said about 30 tons of contraband was seized in different raids from Lahore to Karachi recently. He said co-operation of SHOs was also being sought from the walled city to nab drug pushers from those areas and recalled that 12 operations were conducted in the walled city last year.

He said the ANF seized a record of 283 tons of contraband in 1995, destroyed nine tons of heroin, 106 tons of opium, seized 14,714 kilograms of heroin and 7,250 kilograms of charas during the same period.

Referring to the number of drug addicts in country, Dogar said according to 1993 survey there were about 31 million drug addicts in the country of which, half of them inhale heroin. He disclosed that number of women drug addicts were also increasing day by day. He pointed out that majority of women drug addicts belong to " high society" or those belonging to lower class become addict after they use drugs temporarily as a " pain-

killer" during pregnancy.

Dogar said his organisation was under-staffed thus creating problems for it and added existing strength of 1500 employees would be doubled by the next financial year. He however said even it would be quite insufficient force to fight against drug. " As many as thousands of employees were required to

crush drug trade in the society", he claimed.

Dogar said a list of 40 employees of former Pakistan Narcotic Control Board (PNCB) allegedly involved in patronising, protecting or conniving with drug pushers had been sent to the Establishment Division to declare them " unwanted persons" for the department.-APP