Senior Minister of Sindh Sharjeel Inam Memon said that, in the current war situation in the region, the federal government has had to increase petrol prices. On this important issue, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of President Asif Ali Zardari and the Prime Minister, in which all Chief Ministers participated and joint decisions were made.
He said that, on the instructions of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and President Asif Ali Zardari, the Sindh government decided to provide maximum relief to the people and has announced a package of Rs 35 billion. He added that priority in the relief package was given to poor farmers. Using data from the Benazir Hari Card, all farmers owning less than 25 acres of land were given relief at the rate of Rs 1,500 per acre, and the transfer of funds through Sindh Bank has also started.
He expressed these views while addressing a crowded press conference at the DG Narcotics Control Wing Sindh office on Tuesday, along with Provincial Minister for Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Sindh Mukesh Kumar Chawla. He said that 6.7 million motorcycles are registered in Sindh and their owners will receive Rs 2,000 per month. He added that another subsidy has been provided by the Sindh government for those traveling on public transport.
He further said that keeping youth away from drugs is a key responsibility of the Sindh government. In this regard, Naval Intelligence recently shared information about drugs with the Excise Department and the Maritime Security Agency, after which the Excise Department and Narcotics Control Wing Sindh carried out a joint operation and seized more than 500 kilograms of crystal meth. He said the Excise Department and the Provincial Excise Minister deserve appreciation for this action.
Addressing the press conference, Provincial Minister for Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Sindh Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that an attempt to smuggle drugs from the Arabian Sea was foiled through a joint operation by the Excise and Narcotics Control Wing, Naval Intelligence, and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency. During the operation, 500 kg of crystal meth and 3,000 bottles of foreign whiskey worth billions of rupees were seized.
He said that, based on secret information, the Narcotics Department of Korangi District learned that drugs were being transported to Korangi by sea. The department raided the transfer point last night and recovered the drugs. He said that this operation is a clear example of effective joint action and that the large consignment seized represents a major financial loss for organized drug trafficking networks.
Mukesh Kumar Chawla added that investigations have been initiated to identify local facilitators, financial supporters, and other members of the drug trafficking network. He said that the Excise and Narcotics Control Wing Sindh conducted two more major operations the previous day.
In one operation by the Narcotics Control Wing Rohri Circle near Jail Road SIUT Complex, 120 kg of high-quality hashish was recovered from a Fortuner vehicle (registration number BJ-8268), and one suspect was arrested.
In another operation by the Narcotics Control Wing Jacobabad Circle at Agriculture College, Shikarpur Road, a Bradford truck (registration number K-7844) was searched and 40 kg of hashish was recovered.
Mukesh Kumar Chawla congratulated the senior officers of the Excise and Narcotics Control Wing, the concerned officers, and their teams for these successful operations, stating that thousands of youths could have become addicts if these drugs had been trafficked.
Responding to questions from journalists regarding motorcycle registration under the People’s Motorcycle Fuel Subsidy Program and the Excise Department system, Mukesh Kumar Chawla said that so far 3,000 people have registered their motorcycles, while Rs 2,000 has been transferred to 1,500 individuals through their Sindh Bank accounts. He further clarified that the Excise Department’s system was temporarily shut down due to repeated hacking attempts and was restored after being secured.