ILLEGAL DRUGS' BUSINESS - MINISTRY CRITICIZED FOR IGNORING SENATE
BODY'S ADVICE

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Narcotics Control on
Tuesday criticised the Narcotics Control Ministry for not
implementing its recommendations about checking the use of illegal
drugs.

The committee, which met at the Parliament House with Senator Kalsoom
Perveen in the chair, directed the ministry to gear up its efforts to
increase inter-provincial coordination to facilitate forums working
against the drug menace.

Committee members said the trade of illicit drugs was growing in the
country and those involved in the illegal activity deserved
punishment. It stressed the need for appropriate checks and balances
to discourage the misuse of drugs. The senate body recommended the
Narcotics Control Ministry issue No Objection Certificate (NOC) for
import of chemicals like Toluene, Potassium Permanganate and Methyl
Ethyl Ketone (MEK) by various industries within one month and
appropriate check be maintained on the importers and the users.

Earlier, officials of the Narcotics Control and Commerce Ministries
and Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) briefed the committee on steps taken
to rein in the illegal trade of precursor chemicals. The body was
updated on various policy making forums set up to control the menace.

Senators Nisar Memon, Sardar Mehmood Khan, Tahira Latif, Mir
Israrullah Khan, Syed Muhammad Hussain, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and
Rehmatullah Kakar, Narcotics Control Minister Ghaus Bux Mehar, senior
officials of the ministry, ANF and the Commerce Ministry attended
the meeting.