Drugs in Pakistan: A Growing Peril

Pakistan is not new to the menace of drug trafficking and abuse and has been familiar to this phenomenon since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. From then on the figures of drug abuse and crimes have sky rocketed. In the 1980s Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan became the leading producer of opium by replacing the golden triangle of Laos, Myanmar and Thailand in opium production therefore earning the title of ‘The Golden Crescent’.

The problem stems from the fact that we share an immediate border with the world’s largest producer of opiate that is Afghanistan. Opium comes in into Pakistan through Afghanistan into FATA where it is further processed and then moved onto major consumer markets such as Punjab.

This drug culture has effected much of our youth as the majority of consumers are students in universities and schools. It is effecting us because of its easy availability and of the fact that it is very cheap. Due to this Pakistan has almost 4 million drug addicts, (UN) which is the highest in the world. According to UNODC report more then 20 tons of pure heroin is being annually consumed by users in Pakistan.

Pakistan also acts as a transit route of trafficking drugs into other regions such as Middle East, Africa, East Asia and the West. There effects are then felt in the economy as well as the youth. The target maintained is our national security.

Drug trafficking is a non-traditional security threat and has been used by the terrorist groups to maintain their cash inflows which in return has led them to buy guns and ammunitions which are ultimately used against the state. Hence this process is being used to manipulate us in many ways. The drug mafia of Afghanistan are directly related to the insurgents in Pakistan as they finance them with the amount of money they earn through illegal selling of drugs. The Taliban led insurgency is thought by some to derive a good deal of its finances from narcotics. The drug trade remains Taliban’s biggest source of revenue. The drug problem is hence proving detrimental to our society as well as national security.

Tackling this drug problem would not only provide a safe haven for our youth it will also benefit us as there would be less aid which comes to the Taliban through drugs and will lead to less casualties which happen through bomb blasts and Taliban infiltrations. To curb the menace of drugs we need to provide our people with more law and order as it plays a vital role and due to its incompetence we are facing increased drug abuse and crimes. Harsher punishments for people who are found guilty of spreading this hazard will result in steady decline of drug addicts and its associated crimes.

The government of Pakistan did introduce Anti- Narcotics Policy and Drug Control Master Plan was approved by the cabinet in 2010. It has failed as there is lack of political will and co-ordination among federal and provincial governments. It can also be true to note that there might be political players involved in this illicit trade.

In some cases police has also been used by the hierarchy for their own good. A prominent example would be MPA Akhter Nawaz and two other cops being indicted in drug trafficking case. What came to the surface then after was that the official police car had been used to traffic heroine more than nine or ten times before being caught.

The youth stand at a critical point. A country heavily relies upon its youth as there the next set of leaders. What has led our youth to indulge into this menace is perhaps less opportunities and activities for them. There is not much being offered to the youngsters which has led them to addiction and crimes. To avoid this we can provide the teenagers with more awareness through social and educational institutions.

Being Pakistani it is our collective responsibility to fight back to this threat our country faces through multiple angles. It is hence our responsibility to report whenever a crime of this sort happens. We should act together to stop this harm. We should make everyone aware of the fact that we have two choices. The first being keep bringing in the drugs and providing the terrorist with our own money to use against us. Second being stopping this war once and for all by cutting the drug inflow.