ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led federal government plans to make drug tests mandatory for school staff and students in Islamabad, Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi confirmed.
In a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control on Thursday, the minister asserted that no one responsible for propagating drugs to the youth would be spared even if they are members of the parliament.
Afridi shared that the government was working on legislation to impose punishment on the possession and distribution of crystal methamphetamine -the drug commonly known as crystal meth or ice.
Secretary Narcotics Control, Amjad Javed Saleemi informed the Senate committee that a record was being maintained of criminal entities involved in the narcotics trade, adding that the system helps track drug peddlers and their facilitators, Express Tribune reported.
The minister told the participants that the ministry had collected data of drug dealers and money launderers from over 250 international law enforcement agencies, claiming that former Interpol president Ronald Robin and the United Arab Emirates authorities were seeking Pakistan’s help on the matter.
Shehryar Afridi also lamented at the attention given to Rana Sanaullah’s arrest when authorities had detained over 2,000 suspects over narcotics trade; the PML-N leader was nabbed by anti-narcotics force.
He reiterated that the anti-narcotics team followed Sanaullah for three weeks before arresting him.
https://twitter.com/ShehryarAfridi1/status/1179751829992824832
In a twitter post, the minister underscored the need to ‘stand together to fight against the evil of illicit drugs & Narcotics’.
