Punjab Launches Intensive Crackdown on Street Drug Networks: Minister

By Dr. Ansab Ali – Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: Punjab is intensifying its efforts against street-level drug networks, with a comprehensive crackdown underway across the province, officials said. The announcement came during a high-level briefing attended by Punjab Minister for Education, Rana Sikandar Hayat, at the headquarters of the Counter Narcotics Force Punjab (CNF) in Lahore on Friday.

Director General CNF Punjab, Mazhar Iqbal, provided the Minister with a detailed overview of the Force’s province-wide anti-narcotics strategy, highlighting enhanced surveillance measures around educational institutions, identification of high-risk zones, and the establishment of designated Red Zones near schools and colleges. The DG confirmed that intelligence-led operations targeting drug peddling and smuggling are being conducted daily.

Funds have been approved to establish district-level CNF units, which are expected to improve operational efficiency and accelerate action against inter-district drug networks. The force is also leveraging modern, technology-driven surveillance systems to strengthen its enforcement capabilities.

Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat praised the professional performance of CNF and emphasized the critical role of educational institutions as the first line of defense against narcotics. He reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to protecting students from drugs, highlighting plans to integrate curricular and co-curricular platforms for awareness, mandatory counseling services, enhanced teacher training, and modern safety protocols.

The Minister also stressed the importance of institutional coordination between the Education Department and the Home Department, noting that such synergy is essential to effectively eradicate narcotics from society. He assured full departmental cooperation in CNF-led school outreach programs, public awareness campaigns, and community engagement initiatives.

The briefing also included initial results from the “Safe Campus” policy, which Minister Hayat described as a decisive step toward securing the future of Punjab’s youth and reinforcing the government’s Zero Tolerance Policy against narcotics.