PAKISTAN DECLARES WAR ON DRUGS, HELP FOR USERS

ISLAMABAD, - Pakistan on Saturday declared war on
drugs with a $600 million plan to wipe out opium poppy cultivation
and create a drug-free society by 2003.

"At the present moment we are facing an acute problem in Pakistan as
about 4.3 million people are victims of drug abuse," Interior Miniser
Shujaat Hussain told a news conference.

He unveiled an internationally-backed plan to attack drug cultivation
and use by educating people about drug dangers and helping users to
get treatment and rehabilition.

Pakistan was once a major producer of opium and heroin but a concerted
campaign has turned it into an importer of the drug, chiefly from
neighbouring Afghanistan, the world's top opium producer, drug
officials said.

The 2.8 billion rupee ($607 million) plan will be paid for by the
government, donors and the U.N. Drug control Programme (UNDCP), the
minister said.

It follows U.S. certification on Friday of Pakistan's efforts to stamp
out the cultivation of opium poppies and the manufacture of heroin in
illicit laboratories.

The Foreign Ministry said U.S. certification followed stringent
measures to stamp out the drug trade.

These included "an unprecedented reduction in poppy cultivation and
production, effective action against drug barons, strengthening of law
enforcement agencies and adoption of new narcotics laws providing
enhancement of mandatory punishment as well as asset seizures," it
said.

Hussain said the plan envisaged complete eradication of the growth of
the opium poppy, from which heroin is derived, by the end of this year
after a succesful campaign to close down all heroin-producing
laboratories in the country.

The minister said the area under poppy production had fallen from
80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) in 1980 to 2,000 acres (800 hectares)
in 1990 and and opium production from 800 to 24 tonnes in the same
period.

"Pakistan is now the victim of drug trafficking and heroin is being
smuggled into Pakistan...The unfortunate part is that during transit
traffickers have started supplying our youth and the labour class, "
the minister said.

"The master plan evisages a drug-free society by the end of the year
2003," he said.

Heroin addicts have become a common sight in Pakistani cities and drug
experts say there is little or no treatment available.