To eliminate the menace of narcotics from the province, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has drafted a bill for the prevention of drug abuse. Sources relayed that KP authorities recommended imposing strict penalties on the trade of ice and other narcotics. It was also recommended to establish special anti-narcotic courts to hear cases in this regard. The draft bill noted that individuals involved with producing and trading narcotics would be sentenced for 25 years along with confiscation of assets. It was warned that anyone possessing up to 100 grammes of ice would be handed a seven-year jail term and Rs 0.3 million fine. The bill also suggested a registry of drug addicts to provide them with a medical treatment, funded by the KP government. Once approved by the provincial assembly, the government would legislate the draft bill as a part of its expedited drive against drugs. On February 28, KP Chief Minister, Mahmood Khan, had announced to draft a law for the prevention of drug abuse before the provincial assembly. The State Minister for Interior, Shahryar Afridi, had also announced plans to expedite drive against drugs, further adding that the operations against narcotics would be extended to every nook and corner of the country. He said this in his address to a drug-burning ceremony on February 11, where he reiterated his commitment to make Pakistan a narcotics-free state. The government would leave no stone unturned in ridding the county of the menace of narcotics, the minister claimed. Afridi lauded the Pakistan Coast Guard (PCG) for its key role in controlling drugs and underscored the need for international efforts to help control the spread of narcotics. The fence at Pak-Afghan border was another initiative taken to control cross border smuggling of drugs. Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2019.