PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved a draft of the controversial drugs bill.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, in a cabinet meeting on Thursday, asked the concerned departments to empower the provincial police, excise and taxation departments, the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and Customs under the draft KP Control of Narcotics Substance Bill 2018.
Khattak had sought a meeting of the KP assembly’s select committee to finalise the bill and then pass it from the assembly so that the relevant authorities can curb rapid growth of crystal methamphetamines, commonly known as ‘ice’ and other drugs which are covered under the bill.
They further said that the committee will have to look at the legal provisions which allow a provincial assembly to make requests to force or a department which works under the federal government.
“We will ask the opinion of the KP law department on the issue as the cabinet’s decision has raised a technical issue which needs to be cleared,” said an official who is close to the development but requested not to be named.
Official added that the chief minister wants that the bill is passed into law without any further delay to curb the spread of new drugs.
The KP excise and taxation department had drafted the KP Control of Narcotics Substance Bill 2018. The bill had subsequently been tabled in the KP assembly. However, the provincial police department had raised objections over the bill, arguing that it limits powers of the police in controlling narcotics in the province.
Moreover, the bill also limits the role of ANF and Customs to areas where the jurisdiction of the federal government extends, such as airports and dry-ports.
