ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Interior that on the directives of the prime minister, campaigns were launched in colleges and universities to curb the supply of narcotics on campuses, resulting in multiple seizures and arrests.
The committee meeting chaired by MNA Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz was held at the Parliament House on Wednesday. A detailed briefing on the functioning of ANF was given by its director (Enforcement). He briefed the committee on steps taken by the government to strengthen international cooperation and intelligence-sharing against cross-border drug trafficking, Pakistan’s engagement with regional and international platforms to disrupt the drug supply chain and measures to provide alternative livelihood programmes in poppy cultivation areas.
The ANF informed the committee that it had seized 1,453 kilograms of narcotics intended for educational institutions and arrested more than 300 suspects. It also claimed to have dismantled a network of drug dealers operating through social media.
Khurram expressed concern over the growing drug trade in Islamabad, warning that narcotics were “flooding” the city and infiltrating colleges and universities. “Where are these drugs coming from?” he asked. “We always assumed they were smuggled from Afghanistan, but we need clarity on how they reach our campuses.” He added that drug dealers in the capital had become so powerful that they had even killed a councillor.
Committee member Qadir Patel said narcotics were being smuggled across interprovincial borders and urged tighter security. He noted that students were ordering drugs via WhatsApp, which were delivered by motorcycle riders. Khawaja Izharul Hassan added that foreign SIM cards, being sold online, were being used by drug dealers to evade local monitoring.
ANF Brigadier Imran Ali said the Prime Minister’s Office had directed the force to tackle narcotics on campuses. “We launched joint campaigns with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and institutions in 263 educational establishments, seizing 1,470 kilograms of drugs and arresting 400 suspects,” he said and added that targeted operations had been initiated in Islamabad to make all campuses drug-free, in collaboration with the ICT administration. He informed that they had carried out awareness and enforcement drives in 4,008 colleges and were running seven rehabilitation centres nationwide. “Rehab facilities in Islamabad are not under our mandate,” he clarified and acknowledged that limited scanners and operational capacity posed challenges but stressed that enforcement operations were ongoing. This year alone, the ANF busted 19 gangs and froze assets worth Rs7 billion linked to drug trafficking. The committee was also informed that while the Sindh government had established a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) to combat narcotics, its operations were hampered by a shortage of manpower. As it is a provincial entity, further details could be sought from the Sindh government.
At the federal level, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) - comprising 32 provincial and federal law enforcement agencies and chaired by the director general ANF - coordinates resources, oversees drug interdiction operations and evaluates agency performance, with the ultimate goal of making Pakistan a drug-free state. The ANF assured the committee of continued support for the RRU within the IATF framework whenever required.
The committee disposed of the matters raised under the questions but recommended stricter measures to control drug use and sought a detailed briefing in the next meeting. It also considered and referred the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (Government Bill). It took up but deferred three private member bills moved by Faruqui -- the Corrosive Substances Assault (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2024, the Islamabad Capital Territory Dowry Restraint Bill, 2025, and the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2025. However, she withdrew the Islamabad Animal Protection Bill, 2025.