Daily Times

While presiding over the Senate standing committee meeting of Interior on Monday, Senator Rehman Malik said Afghanistan is supplying drugs to European markets under the eyes of US forces.

”The volatile Afghanistan’s most of the territory is under the control of United States (US) forces but still Afghanistan is a big market of drugs production and it supplies to the market of European countries under the eyes of US forces. United States is still silent over the issue but it is curbing Pakistan in FATF grey list, which shows US’ ingenuity and makes its role in the region even more controversial”, said Senator Rehman Malik.

The standing committee on interior moved a unanimous resolution in the meeting regarding the sacrifices of Pakistan in the war on terror, its economic and human losses rendered by Pakistan and the dual role of US in the region regarding the FATF announcement of putting Pakistan in the grey list.

The resolution added that Pakistan was made a soft target by FATF through money laundering allegations, whereas, Afghanistan continues to smuggle drugs to the European markets under the surveillance of United States.

Resolution further added that US should stop the production and supply of drugs in Afghanistan immediately and Pakistan’s name from FATF grey list should be excluded. The committee demanded that steps taken by Pakistan against money laundering and its sacrifices in the war on terror should be acknowledged.

The committee also handed over an enquiry to the federal investigation agency (FIA) on a public petition regarding an international company in Karachi Airport, which has no legal documents or license to continue their business in Pakistan.

The Chairman of the committee as well the senator inquired from DG civil aviation authority that how was this company based in London was allowed to work in Pakistan without following the legal procedure. The committee told that those involved in this scam would face serious consequences if they found guilty.

Senator KalsoomParveen, Senator Siraj-ul-Haq, Senator Mohammad JaveedAbbasi, Senator Azam Swati and Senator Mohammad AteeqSheikh also attended the meeting.

Published in Daily Times, September 18^th 2018.