Senate Summons Top Counter-Narcotics, Public Health Ministries officials

The Meshrano Jirga — or upper house of the parliament – on Tuesday summoned senior officials of the Counter-Narcotics and Public Health ministries.

Afghan senators are said to consider the increasing number of drug addicts in the country a serious challenge.

They noted that the minister of counter-narcotics have appointed some of his family members in essential positions of the ministry.

“We had around 100,000 drug addicts 13 years ago but now the number hit a high level above million. Lack of an arranged policy is self-ruining and the existence of drug addicts is more dangerous than terrorist groups,” Senator Gul Ahmad Azami said.

Drug addiction which roots as a result of poverty and illiteracy is one of the most terribly threatening challenges that Afghan society has been battling with.

“There are around one million Afghans who forms 8% of total population of the country, who are drug addicted,” reported by UN Drug and Crimes Office (UNODC).

Considering the statistics by UNODC, drug addiction is a greater warning for Afghan society than Taliban.

“The ministry of counter-narcotics has changed into a tribal ministry. The minister has appointed his son as deputy with the salary of $ 4,000 and by raise of complaints he appointed his nephew for the position,” Senator Nesar Haris said.

But the minister of counter narcotics who has not attended the Tuesday’s session denied all allegations against him.

“I have announced all posts to be competitive in the ministry,” Salamat Azimi, minister of counter-narcotics said.

Opium trade has been one of the sole sources of funds for Taliban during the last ten years. Despite spending billions of dollars in Afghanistan, International Community could not manage the funds properly. The chances of reemergence for popy cultivation among the Afghan farmers are highly considerable.

The minister of counter-narcotics announced a 19 percent decrease in drugs in the current year; the ministry has collected nearly 10,000 drug addicts in several categories from all across the city.

However, the deputy minister of public health says that the drug addicts again face addiction after treatment.

“Our treatments have a high and great quality, but lack of employment and easy access to drugs causes they become addicted again,” deputy minister of health, Najiya Tareq said.

Afghanistan, being the leading producer of poppy hosts twice the global average of drug consumers.

Experts say that the alarming trend is not being addressed by the Afghan government and its international partners, even though most officials acknowledge that the drug scourge threatens lasting stability in Afghanistan.