KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Wednesday directed police and other relevant departments to intensify efforts against narcotics, with particular emphasis on keeping educational institutions drugfree and protecting young people from substance abuse.
According to a press statement, committee chairperson Faryal Talpur issued the directives while chairing a meeting of the standing committee that reviewed measures taken across the province to curb the sale and use of narcotics, particularly efforts aimed at keeping educational institutions drugfree.
Officials briefed the meeting on progress made so far, and police also gave an update on the case involving alleged drugdealer Anmol alias Pinky.
The meeting also reviewed the overall law and order situation in Sindh and discussed measures and strategies to curb street crime.
Ms Talpur also called upon police and prosecution authorities to ensure effective prosecution of those involved in narcotics cases so that offenders could receive strict punishment in accordance with the law.
She said the performance of police and other departments concerned had improved considerably in tackling narcotics, but added that much more remained to be done.
She stressed that parents, teachers and civil society also needed to play a leading role in efforts to prevent drug abuse and protect young people.
The meeting was attended by all members of the committee as well as Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, EducationMinister Sardar Shah, Excise and Taxation Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Social Welfare Minister Mir Tariq Ali Talpur and MPA Sohail Anwar Siyal.
Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme, Senator Rubina Khalid and MNA Shahida Rehmani also attended the meeting as special participants.
Additional chief secretary home, secretaries of the law, excise, school education, college education, social welfare and universities departments, the Sindh advocate general, the Sindh prosecutor general, IGP Sindh and other senior police and government officials were also present.
Later, talking to the media, IGP Javed Odho said that apart from the mobile phone snatching, improvement had been witnessed in all other crimes and the overall law and order situation was ‘under control’.