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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and local authorities have launched a “major operation” in southwestern Balochistan to eliminate poppy cultivation and drug dens in the province on the directions of the army chief and the provincial government, state-run media reported on Monday.

Afghanistan has historically been the epicenter of poppy cultivation and a major supplier of global opiates. But the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in 2023 that opium cultivation fell throughout the country to just 10,800 hectares (26,700 acres) in 2023 from 233,000 hectares the previous year, slashing supply by 95 percent to 333 tons. The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has banned poppy cultivation and cracked down on growers since seizing power in the country in August 2021. 

ANF Director Syed Sijjeel Haider told the media last year that there has been an increase in drug usage and narcotics smuggling in Pakistan over the past few years, with the majority of those affected being the country’s youth.

International publication Finance Times reported this month that since the Taliban banned poppy cultivation, Pakistan has emerged as “one of the world’s biggest suppliers of opium, with output increasing sharply this year as stockpiles decline.” The report said officials in Balochistan, the insurgency-hit province bordering Afghanistan, were concerned that the area could turn it into an “opium production hub” fueling addiction in the country and enriching militant groups. 

“A major campaign has been launched in Balochistan by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in collaboration with local authorities to eradicate poppy cultivation and dismantle drug dens,” the Pakistan Television News (PTV) reported. 

“The operation is being carried out under the direct instructions of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Government of Balochistan.”

It said the campaign aimed to make Balochistan drug-free, adding that poppy crops have been destroyed in various areas during operations. The state media said authorities have taken action against those found involved in cultivating and trafficking opium. 

PTV News said that in order to eliminate the nexus between drugs and militants, alternative livelihood opportunities will be provided to locals. 

“The war against drugs is a national responsibility, and it is essential that the government, security agencies, and every member of society play their role in this fight,” the report said. 

Pakistani officials have spoken of increasing drug abuse in the country. Although there are no official statistics, health professionals in Pakistan, a nation of some 240 million, warn that addiction to crystal meth has been soaring. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. Health experts say users get a “euphoric high” that can last from minutes to several hours. Meth abuse can lead to anxiety, insomnia, and violent behavior, according to experts.

Pakistan’s interior ministry approved a fresh National Drug Survey last year to help combat the growing drug problem. The last survey in 2012-13 revealed that around 6 percent of the Pakistani population at the time, or 6.7 million people, had used substances other than alcohol and tobacco in the previous year. The highest prevalence of drug use was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where almost 11 percent of the population used an illicit substance.

KARACHI: Pakistani journalist and anchor Imtiaz Mir was injured on Sunday night after he was shot in a targeted attack in Karachi, a senior police officer said as government officials condemned the attack and called for the culprits to be arrested. 

Mir, who hosts the show “Aaj Ki Baat With Imtiaz Mir” on Metro 1 News channel in Karachi, was shot on by two persons who were on a motorcycle Sunday night in the city’s Malir area, multiple media reports said. Police were unable to identify the shooters. 

However, media reports claimed the assailants included a man and a woman. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Qur’angi Tariq Nawaz, Mir was admitted to a nearby hospital after the attack. The police official said the journalist is currently being treated and his condition is improving. 

“It is certain that he was deliberately attacked with the intention to kill,” Nawaz told Arab News. “This was not the result of resistance to any robbery or snatching attempt.”

Nawaz said it remains unclear why Mir was targeted, adding that his driver told police that the anchor had an ongoing feud in his hometown. 

“We are investigating the case from multiple angles and are not drawing any conclusions at this time,” Nawaz said. 

Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon strongly condemned the attack in a statement, saying that targeting journalists was “unacceptable.”

“The Sindh government is committed to ensuring the safety of journalists,” Memon said. “The perpetrators of the attack on Imtiaz Mir will be brought to justice as soon as possible.”

Sindh Home Minister Zia ul Hasan Lanjar took notice of the incident and ordered police to arrest the culprits. 

“Protecting the lives and property of citizens is the government’s top priority,” Lanjar said in a statement on Sunday night. 

Pakistani journalists have faced violence frequently in the past. As per a report released by the Pakistan-based media and development sector watchdog Freedom Network last year, 184 incidents of violence against journalists took place in the southern Sindh province between 2018 and 2023. These included the killings of 10 journalists.

Pakistani journalists have frequently accused the government and influential politicians of subjecting them to threats, intimidation and harassment for reporting on sensitive topics over the years. These allegations, however, have frequently been denied by officials.