ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is all set to reopen the state-owned opium factory forall the good reasons. The factory was established under the Prohibition ofEnforcement of Hadd Order 1979 previously. However, back in 2012, it wasshut down by the government without giving any specific reason.
According to the reports, the Narcotics Division of the Ministry ofInterior sent multiple letters to Punjab government for the reopening ofthe factory. However, the provincial government remained reluctant to theidea and kept shutting out the requests of the ministry.
Punjab Finance Department then warned the excise department that if thefactory isn’t reopened, the posts of excise employees would be abolished.Furthermore, the budget estimates for the department would be removed aswell if excise department doesn’t comply with the orders.
Punjab Narcotics Force Director General (DG) Raja Zahid recently assuredthat all necessary measures will be taken to reopen the factory.
There are two reasons cited by the ministry for reopening of the onlystate-owned opium factory. These are;
– Increase the revenue by selling opium to pharmaceutical factories. – Facilitate the patients in need of the opium-related medicine and drugs.
The Narcotics Division sent out a letter to Punjab government which says;
It may be seen that the matter has been pending for a while, for want ofcomments from your side and as a result, the business of pharmaceuticalfirms is getting negatively affected.
Currently, the factory building has been leased to a private company thatmanufactures vehicle registration plates.
Before the shutdown, the opium factory used to sell fresh and refined opiumto pharma companies for Rs 20,000 per kilogram. The main suppliers of opiumto this factory were Pakistan Coast Guard, Karachi, Pakistan Rangers,Frontier Constabulary, Quetta and the police, which seized smuggled drugs.The drugs were then sent to the factory free of cost which sold it to themedicine companies.
The factory also supplied opium pills to registered addicts under thedefined rules.