BY ALI IMRAN
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi Tuesday urged trans-regional and global partners to enhance scope of regional and global cooperation to help save the world from the menace of drugs. Addressing the participants of 4th Trans-regional Cooperation Meeting on drugs control, Afridi said Pakistan has been spearheading efforts for saving the world from the menace of narcotics.
The minister said the world has yet to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the countries fighting drugs. ‘This is need of the hour that sacrifices being made in combating drugs should be recognized by the UN and its allied agencies on the pattern of recognition being given to peacekeeping forces.
Moreover globally we rank in top tier for the seizures of drugs though with meager resources and low man power we have mastered this art with high intelligence and professional force of ANF,’ he added. Afridi said Pakistan has recently developed the smart phone application ‘˜Zindagi’ for drug demand reduction and raising awareness among society at large.
‘Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the application and we have been receiving appreciation for that from regional and world partners. Moreover we have indigenously developed a large database (Am’aan) of criminals wanted in drugs related crimes across the world. This would help Pakistan and its partners to track all the international drug peddlers,’ he added.
He said Pakistan under new policy will further enhance international cooperation as we understand that drug related crimes were of international and trans-continental nature. ‘The organized crime syndicates, blinded by their greed and lust are adopting innovative illegal means to maximize their earnings at the cost of innocent human lives’ .
