QUETTA: Field Marshal Syed Hafiz Asim Munir orders that the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF), in coordination with the Balochistan’s government, launch a large-scale campaign to eradicate poppy cultivation and other narcotics-related crops across multiple districts of the province.
The operation focused on fields and storage sites identified through recent intelligence-sharing between federal and provincial agencies.
Furthermore, the ANF teams, supported by provincial law enforcement, bulldozed extensive tracts of illegal cultivation and confiscated related paraphernalia.
In this regard, the senior provincial official described the initiative as part of a sustained national effort to disrupt the narcotics supply chain and the criminal networks that profit from it.
Moreover, praising the enforcement action, provincial authorities acknowledged that eradication alone would not prevent the reintroduction of banned crops.
In this sense, the government representatives urged the rollout and expansion of alternative livelihood programs to provide sustainable employment and income-generating opportunities for farmers and rural families in affected areas.
In this regard, the development experts and local stakeholders have long advocated a dual approach that pairs firm law enforcement with targeted rural development measures, including improved access to markets, agricultural subsidies, vocational training and microfinance.
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The provincial government said it would review current support schemes and seek cooperation from federal agencies, international partners and non-governmental organizations to scale up alternatives to illicit cultivation.
