QUETTA: Authorities in Balochistan have launched a large-scale drive against drugs and narcotics under the directives of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the provincial government.
The Anti-Narcotics Force and local agencies began operations this week to destroy poppy crops and dismantle drug dens across the province. Officials said the aim is to eliminate narcotics cultivation and trafficking permanently.
Security teams have already cleared several areas of poppy fields and targeted networks involved in production and smuggling. Authorities said the campaign also seeks to break links between drug cartels and militant groups.
To prevent farmers from returning to poppy cultivation, the government plans to provide alternative livelihoods. Officials said breaking the drug-crime-terror nexus requires a sustainable strategy.
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The government called the anti-narcotics drive a national responsibility and urged state institutions and citizens to contribute.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Balochistan, Muhammad Tahir, a day earlier, stated that protecting the lives and property of citizens is the government’s top priority.
He made these remarks during a visit to the Balochistan Constabulary (BC) Headquarters at Badar Line in Quetta on Tuesday. IGP Tahir was given a detailed briefing on the department’s operations by Additional IGP and Commandant of the Balochistan Constabulary, Agha Muhammad Yousaf.
The IGP praised the BC force, acknowledging its “important role in maintaining law and order” throughout the province. He specifically promised that the problems faced by the youth within the constabulary would be resolved “at their doorsteps.”
