Lahore, July 21: In a show of the Pakistan government's determination to rid the country of narcotics and alcohol, interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayyat today burned a large quantity of banned substances in the eastern city of Lahore. Hayyat set fire to 34 metric tons of drugs and alcohol, including hashish, heroin and liquor, in a ceremony observed by diplomats, social workers and college students at an empty field on the outskirts of Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province.

Included in the bonfire were 656 liters of alcohol. The bottles burst in the flames.

The haul was seized by Pakistan's anti-narcotic force during the past year.
Pakistan has over 4 million drug addicts, including 500,000 heroin users, according to government estimates. The consumption of alcohol is banned according to the dictates of Islam.

“Drug burning is a clear message to those who are involved in this business that we will not allow them to use our territory for their drug business,'' Hayyat said.

Pakistan, which has stepped up its efforts in recent years to control drug smuggling, is still believed to be a major route for smuggling drugs from Afghanistan to markets in the Gulf, Europe and beyond.

Hayyat said that most of the drugs seized in Pakistan had come from Afghanistan. “Unfortunately, Afghanistan had a bumper poppy cropthis year. We are in touch with the Afghan government to make joint efforts to combat this menace.''

Bureau Report