A news report about the rising trend of addiction of Crystal Meth, commonly known as Ice. The drug barons are particularly targeting the school, college and university going youth through their peddlers. In the capital city of Peshawar alone, 600 girls in the age group of 14-22 years have been brought to the three rehabilitation centers. The supply chain of drug mafia could not be smashed, probably due to t political patronage. It is no longer a secret that no law exists on the statue book to discourage the criminalization of politics. That is why local administration and law enforcing agencies cannot implement the law of narcotics control. Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Assembly has passed “Narcotics Control Bill, 2019” and the Act is now enforced. The subject of narcotics control had been devolved to the provinces under 18th Amendment in 2010. It was then the prerogative of provincial governments to make strict legislation for it and codify laws and regulations thereon. However, the legal fraternity is critical of the legislation being repugnant to the federal law Narcotics Control Act of 1997 and is of the view that federal law takes precedence over provincial law if it is in conflict with Article-145 of the Constitution. Moreover, the provincial law authorizes the Excise and Taxation Department for narcotics control which does not have the expertise and manpower to curb this menace. After the passage of “Narcotics Control Act, 2019”, a separate department with law enforcing force should have been created. The legislation envisages death penalty for the sellers and buyers of a new brand of narcotics “Crystal Meth” commonly known as “Ice”. The drug which is smuggled into Pakistan from Afghanistan is a new nightmare for the parents of school, college and university going students. The drug barons with strong connections in political parties target the educated youth through their peddlers. It is no longer a secret about who is who, who is where and whose patronage is protecting him from being brought to justice. Mere passage and enactment of legislation and codification of laws do not provide remedy against a social evil which is well entrenched in the society because of the patronage that criminal elements enjoy. It is the strict and across-the-board action under the law that matters. Youth is future hope of the nation, which drug addiction is destroying. The political leadership has adopted an oblivious attitude towards it. It remains to be seen how the anti-narcotics laws codified under the new legislation are brought into action to save the current and future generations from drugs addiction and effectively curb the menace of narcotics by breaking its cartel, which is akin in clout to the one that had emerged in Latin America.
