Daily Times

Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi Thursday said his ministry had developed one of the world’s largest databank of criminals to effectively curb the narcotics and money laundering in the country.

“No cost was incurred on development of database and it had been made on disposal of Anti Narcotics Force,” he said while highlighting the ministry’s two years performance here.

He said an accord was signed between Pakistan and Afghanistan for joint operations and sharing intelligence to control the traffic from major source of drugs.

An app ‘Zindagi’ was launched for creating awareness among the masses about harmful effects of drugs and narcotics, he said adding the initiative had been applauded at various international forums.

The ministry, he said, had initiated a collaborated effort along with Ministry of Health, United Nations Office on Drug Control and Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Studies for establishing a monitoring mechanism for the drugs, used in rehabilitation process, besides monitoring of the public and mushroom growth of private rehab centers.

For that purpose it was decided to draft a new law to enact Drug Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Regulatory Authority, he added.

A proposal for dedicating a ward at every government and district headquarters hospitals was also initiated for rehabilitation of drug addicts, he maintained.

He said ministry of narcotics Control in collaboration with Pakistan Agricultural Research Council started consultation process for Hemp-growth in Pakistan and for commercial and industrial uses.

He said a draft policy for Opiad Substitute Therapy as an alternative method to rescue the drug addicts was in process. It would have resulted in first-ever Opiad Substitute Therapy Centre in Pakistan, the minister said.

He said the ministry and Pakistan Cricket Board had launched a campaign during Pakistan Super League-V for raising awareness against the drugs.

Shehryar Afridi Thursday said his ministry had extensively engaged the donor countries and convinced them to enhance funding for the Afghan refugees.

The efforts made by the ministry led the United States Embassy in Pakistan to host first-ever donor’s conference for the Afghan refugees, he said while sharing ministry’s two years performance report here.

The United States of America, China, South Korea, Switzerland and others countries also contributed food packages for the Afghan refugees during the Covid-19 lockdown, he added.

Prime Minister lmran Khan, he said, had presented the case of Pakistan’s unprecedented hosting of the Afghan refugees for 40 years in a befitting manner before the world.

He said the ministry had initiated and organized an event to commemorate the ’40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees’ which further led to arrival of United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) in Pakistan.

Pakistan also raised the Kashmir issue and briefed the UNSG about the Indian atrocities against the unarmed Kashmiris, he maintained.

He said meetings were held after a lapse of three years that helped revive quadrilateral (Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and UNHCR) and trilateral (Pakistan, Afghanistan and UNHCR) mechanism for dignified repatriation of Afghan refugees.

Also, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Thursday said thousands of jobs being created in the projects executed under the Ministry of Climate Change. Addressing a joint press briefing flanked by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz along with Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razzak Dawood, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Minister for SAFRON and Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan regarding the two years performance of the government, he said the initiatives taken by the government about climate change had earned appreciation for the country at international level. He said Climate Change was a big challenge but with the efforts of Prime Minister Imran Khan taking up these challenges at United Nations forum with the strong commitment. He said the ministry was working on five point agenda including tree plantation, clean and green index, protected areas, plastic bags and electric vehicles policy, adding that ‘Ten Billion Tsunami Tree Project’ was initiated with one billion trees from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the programme was extended to seven units of the federation after formally issuing its PC-1 besides increasing the number of nurseries from 50 million to 300 million. “Currently, we had planted 500 million trees across the country and the ministry had allocated its 70 percent budget for this purpose,” he added. The second part of the programme, the minister said, conversion of public transport to environment-friendly electric fuel, under which indigenous production of two wheeler rickshaw had been started. He also added that quality improvement of vehicles’ fuel under shifting the system from Euro-2 to Euro-5 was also part of this initiative. Malik Ameen Aslam said the third section of the Clean and Green Initiative was imposition of ban on use of plastic bags which was started from Islamabad as currently it was being produced five billion in our country as compared to 20 million in 1999. He said the ministry had provided 35 indicators to 20 cities of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the Clean and Green Pakistan, he added. Replying a question, he said Ministry of Climate Change would upgrade the Islamabad Murghazar Zoo and in that regard, sufficient funds had been placed for it.