Talking to the media, Col (Retd) Syed Akhtar Abbas, Director Legal of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), confirmed the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) probe into Pakistan’s import of “Ephedrine” during 2010 beyond its stipulated international quota. Published on its website the INCB 2011 report, said that it was “increasingly concerned about the diversion and attempted diversion of Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine in Pakistan that began emerging in 2010.” As a controlled chemical, “Ephedrine” is only allowed to be used internationally in prescribed quantities. To quote Abbas, “Only a miniscule portion (150 Kgs) of the actual stock that was received by two pharmaceutical companies (6500 Kgs and 2500 Kgs) – Berlex Labs of Multan and Danas Pvt Ltd of Islamabad – was actually used in preparing medicines, the rest of the controlled substance went ‘missing’. This was illegally smuggled, investigations show that approximately Rs.7 billion profit was made from the smuggled chemical”.
The findings of the “Federal Inspector of Drugs” In their inspection report to a joint investigation committee asked to enquire into the consumption and sale of drugs made with ephedrine as claimed by the two firms, were that (1) Berlex Lab said they sold their whole stock to “Florence Pharma” of Multan, which in turn said they sold the entire lot to “Can Pharma” of Multan. Can Pharma was situated in a residential house, nobody came out of the house during its inspection nor did the owners respond to phone calls made by the inspectors (2) Danas Pharma sold their entire stock to M/s Danas Distribution, Industrial Triangle, Islamabad which in turn claimed they sold Metone tablets to 14 customers in Darband, Gilgit, Skardu, Besham, Kohistan, Chilas and Tangir areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. The investigation committee observed that with poor infrastructure in these areas the population could not absorb the amount of ephedrine tablets claimed by Danas Pharma. The manufacturing and sale of ephedrine tablets by these two companies was declared suspect and needed further investigation. While someone must be “ecstatic” (pun intended) about the Rs 7 billion monetary killing (pun again intended) made, problem is that the drug “ecstasy” made out of ephedrine creates havoc among the those most likely to use the drug, our youth.
Irrespective of Ali Musa Gilani, the PM’s son’s, involvement in the “Ephedrine” case, the fact that international rules have been violated through the manipulation of allowed quota and out-of-turn release of stock for a controlled chemical substance is extremely worrying. Pakistan ended up importing 31,000 kg of the controlled substance in 2010 against its internationally determined need of 22000 kgs, was this possible without criminal complicity of sorts by some in the civil bureaucracy and most powerful public figure? This involvement of govt functionaries in spreading the drugs illegally creates a really serious problem internationally for Pakistan!
Wikipedia says, “Ephedrine helps studying, thinking, or concentrating to a greater extent than caffeine. Some students and some white-collar workers have used ephedrine (or Ephedra-containing herbal supplements) for this purpose, as well as some professional athletes and weightlifters. Through oxidation, ephedrine can be easily synthesized into methcathinone (a stimulant, sometimes used as a recreational drug and considered addictive. It is usually snorted, but can be smoked, injected, or taken orally). In the US, methcathinone is currently a DEA Schedule-I controlled substance and Ephedrine is listed as a Table-I precursor under the United Nations “Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances” 1988. Under Article 12 the member countries shall take measures to monitor the manufacture and distribution of substances in Table-1 and Table-II carried out within their territory.
To quote my article, “The New Anti-Narcotics Policy” of October 28, 2010 “In 1993, the Benazir Bhutto government successfully implemented the National Anti-Narcotics Policy. While the policy created various institutions and drug enforcement structures, an effective mechanism to coordinate and integrate these efforts was lacking. Established in December 1991, the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) was merged in February 1995 under Ms Benazir’s direction with the Pakistan Narcotics Control Board (PNCB) to constitute the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF). Today ANF is the premier Law Enforcement Agency in the field of narcotics control dedicated to targetting not only the eradication of drug supply and drug dealing but of organizing rehabilitation programmes in Pakistan. ANF has the mandate to conduct difficult operations against the drug mafia and drug organizations”, unquote. How ironic that the son of the man who swears by his mentor late Ms Benazir is the one who to protect his son may be trying to close down, or at the very least emasculate the ANF, an institution the world has acclaimed as a “success story”.
To quote from my article, “The New Great Game” of July 19, 2003, “While Pakistan has had its share of heroin smuggling and smugglers in the 80s, even at the height of the Afghan war most poppy-growing areas were in Afghanistan. The success of ANF’s effort was greatly helped by the Taliban drive to eradicate poppy-growing and heroin manufacturing within Afghanistan, forced manufacturers of heroin into the desolate nether-world where the borders of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan meet in a triangle. Iran has lost thousands killed and several times that number wounded in violent clashes with well-armed convoys of drug smugglers, some equipped with Stingers. Pakistan was declared poppy-free in 2000-01 despite ANF’s limited resources. There is a nexus between insurgency, terrorism, drugs manufacturing, smuggling and organised crime,” unquote. Since 2003 we have been subjected to both insurgency and terrorism of the worst kind, mainly financed by drugs. What is shocking is that a decade later the trail of drug-related corruption reaches into the inner sanctum of the Chief Executive of the country.
Many of our streets, open grounds, heaps of garbage, railway platforms, roadside dens and deep grottos are lined with drug users and addicts, graphically verifying that Pakistan already has a huge drug abuse problem. With more than 9 million drug users in Pakistan, one out of every 20 people is into drug abuse! An estimated 500,000 or more are joining the drug club each year, prima-facie the PM’s son may be force-multiplying this membership. Unfortunately strange things happen in this country whenever there is an investigation involving the rich and the powerful, for the best interests of justice and good governance it is all the more necessary to examine whether elements in the corridors of power are supporting corrupt and dishonest practices for personal interest and gain.
Spare a thought for those ANF officials courageously going about their task honestly and professionally. They are being publicly disparaged and defamed by no less than the President of Pakistan, the Supreme Commander of these men in uniform claims the charges against the PM’s son are framed. It is indeed an irony that he has now become a character witness for others while enjoying Presidential immunity because of the repeated failure of the Supreme Court to implement the NRO verdict in the small matter of money-laundering US$60 million belonging to the people of Pakistan.
Paraphrasing Irving Stone’s best-selling novel (and movie) “The Agony and the Ecstasy”, why is there so much agony in the Gilani regime to derail the truth about “Ecstasy”.
Courtesy: The News
