ISLAMABAD: The Senate Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control on Tuesday informed that narcotics and weapons could easily be smuggled into airports due to security loopholes. The committee met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Rehman Malik. Briefing committee members over drug smuggling, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officials claimed that the authority had conducted regular raids on various airports. “Up till now, 14 people have been arrested over the drugs seized from London, Islamabad, Karachi airports. Three other suspects have gone into hiding. Efforts are being made to arrest them through Interpol. Several Pakistan International Airlines employees were also involved,” the officials said. The committee was discussing the results of the inquiry held after drugs were seized from PIA planes at London and Islamabad airports. Senator A Rehman Malik appreciated the ANF for seizing the drugs from the PIA plane. Senator Javaid Abbassi said that an effective mechanism should be adopted to stop such incidents from occurring in the future. The committee chairman said that he understood the resource and manpower shortage faced by the ANF. “However, the committee is fully prepared to provide all legal assistance,” he said. He said that he was shocked to know that some people were also supplying drugs in some education institutions. The committee directed the Narcotics Control secretary and the ANF to submit lists of resources needed by them. “The government should provide all the available resources to the ANF,” he said. The official from ANF said that they faced shortage of manpower, latest technology, hand analyzers, body scanners, latest luggage scanners and GSM trackers. The committee members said that Afghanistan was the source of drugs being supplied to Pakistan. “It was time for Pakistan to ask the US to ‘do more’ in order to stop the flow of drugs from Afghanistan. Narcotics smuggling is an international issue. It affects every country, including European states,” he said. The committee condemned the recent terrorist acts in Lahore, Quetta and Upper Dir in which innocent people including personnel of law enforcement agencies and policemen had lost their lives. They expressed condolences and sympathies with the bereaved families. “Terrorists by their cowardly attacks could not deter our forces’ determinations to fight till complete elimination of terrorism and extremism,” the committee chairman said. The committee also congratulated Lt Gen (r) Salauddin Tirmizi on becoming the federal minister of Narcotics Control. The committee took serious notice of the incident of stealing of ‘important documents’ from the residence of Senator Syed Shibli Faraz and directed SSP Sajid Kiani to ensure the recovery of the stolen documents. While discussing the inquiries held into cooperative societies, Senator A Rehman Malik said that the committee had received a lot of complaints against the owners of various housing societies. He directed the FIA to take action against all such housing societies that were selling plots without registration. He said that CDA officials should also be included in the investigation for not taking action on the citizens’ complaints. Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2017.