ANF TOLD TO STRIVE FOR DRUG-FREE PAKISTAN

Interior and Narcotics Control Minister Lt Gen (r) Hamid Nawaz Khan
directed the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Monday to launch a vigorous
campaign against narcotics and drug peddlers to achieve drug-free
status for Pakistan this year.

Presiding over a high-level meeting of the Narcotics Control Ministry,
he said that all possible measures would be adopted to curb this menace.

Earlier, Narcotics Control Secretary Jalil Abbas briefed the minister
about ongoing projects of the ministry.

ANF Regional Director Brig Pervaiz Sarwar told the minister that
all-out efforts would be made to rid the country of the scourge of
narcotics.

He said that owing to an increase in opium cultivation in Afghanistan,
Pakistan could not achieve the status of a drug-free country last year.

Brig Sarwar said Afghanistan's opium harvest, which had been on the
rise for the last six years and soared by 34 percent this year, was
impeding Pakistan's efforts to purge the country from drugs.

He said the ANF was cognizant of the grave situation and had increased
its vigilance not only on the borders but also on the Makran Coast by
establishing two new police stations in Gwadar and Panjgur.

Highlighting the achievements of the ANF, Brig Sarwar said the force
had seized 35,530.97 kg of opium, 70,727.32 kg of heroin and 440852.83
kg of hashish since 1995.

It also arrested 3,132 foreigners trying to smuggle 3,692.333 kg of
opium, 5,771.787 kg of heroin and 8,239.65 kg of hashish.

On the prosecution side, the ANF has achieved a commendable success.
Its conviction rate is 86.4 percent, which is the highest in the world.

Since 1995 ANF has registered 7,371 cases: out of which 4,736 were
convicted and only 736 were acquitted whereas 542 cases are pending
for various reasons.

The ANF has frozen drug dealers' assets worth Rs 4,584.53
million.

ANF also checks Hajj pilgrims on the instructions of the government,
after the year 2000, not a single case of narcotics trafficking has
been detected in Pakistan, he added.