PR No. 161 Islamabad, November 23, 2017

The Secretary, Ministry of Narcotics Control chaired a meeting of the Provincial Secretaries Health Services and Secretaries, Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control regarding drug use and spreading of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B & C by the Injecting Drug Users (IDUs) at the Ministry of Narcotics Control.  Representatives from all the provinces including AJ&K, FATA Secretariat and Anti-Narcotics Force attended the meeting.

          The meeting was the first of its kind after the 18th Amendment.  The purpose of the meeting was to develop a more coordinated approach towards the control of drug usage, spreading of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis through injectable drug use and further the rehabilitation of the drug addicts.  The meeting was informed that the National Anti-Narcotics Policy was formulated in 2010 and it has to be revised after every 05 years. The Secretary, Ministry of Narcotics Control also apprised about the revision of the Anti-Narcotics Policy, which is in process.  He informed the meeting that this initiative was to have input from the Provinces regarding formulation of the new National Anti-Narcotics Policy so that the provinces may formulate their own policies on the same pattern.  He also referred to National Narcotics Control Committee (NNCC) meeting wherein a number of important decisions were taken.  One of the decisions related to constitution of Provincial Narcotics Control Committee (PNCC), which needs to be activated and also the actions should be shared with the Ministry of Narcotics Control.  All the representatives briefed the meeting about the initiatives taken by their respective provinces regarding narcotics control, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B & C treatment prevention.  It was decided in the meeting that follow up meetings on the matter would be regularly held in future.

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