Rawalpindi-A high level delegation from National Narcotics Control Committee (NNCC) of China along with representatives from United Nations Office of Drugs Control (UNODC) visited Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) Headquarters here on Tuesday.
The delegation comprised Deshing Xiong, Deputy Secretary General NNCC, Jermey Douglas, Representative UNODC Regional Office South East Asia & Pacific and Cesar Guedes, Representative UNODC Pakistan.
Major General Musarrat Nawaz Malik, DG ANF Pakistan warmly welcomed the guests. During the visit, issues of mutual concern in field of controlling drugs & precursor trafficking were brought under discussion.
Representatives of both the countries i.e. Pakistan and China agreed upon further augmentation of the existing level of bilateral counter narcotics cooperation between the two countries by supporting each other’s anti drug initiatives and by establishing bilateral interaction mechanisms at appropriate levels. As a manifestation of the resolve, Border Liaison Office (BLO) has been recently inaugurated at Pak-China border, Sost which will help both the countries in real time information sharing and carrying out intelligence based joint operations to effectively counter the drugs related activities across the border.
Deshing Xiong, Deputy Secretary General NNCC assured up gradation of technical and operational capacity of ANF by establishment of bilateral support mechanism e.g. database. He further assured that China being the world’s largest producer of precursor chemical would make its best efforts to counter illicit use and trafficking of chemicals especially routing through Pakistani border. He expressed that Islamic Republic of Pakistan and Peoples Republic of China are strategic partners and friends having convergence of views on regional and global issues including counter-narcotics (CN) cooperation.
The representatives from UNODC Mr. Jermey Douglas, Representative UNODC Regional Office South East Asia & Pacific, Cesar Guedes, Representative UNODC Pakistan assured all moral and financial support to ANF Pakistan and NNCC China for long-lasting mutual cooperation to countering narcotics.
The new emerging challenges associated with drug and precursor trafficking through CPEC route was also given special attention during the meeting. The discussion ended with the decision that appropriate joint measures would be taken to effectively counter perceived emerging threat of illicit drug trafficking and additional resources to ANF for establishing and deploying dedicated check posts and drug interdiction teams along, especially its transit and terminal points in Pakistan i.e. Sost (being established) and Gwadar would be supported in all aspects. It was further decided jointly that unanimous stance of Pakistan & China on the issue of maritime cooperation as well as on other drug related issues would be re-affirming at all regional and international fora.
The guests were given short brief of the ANF achievements in controlling the drug menace which was warmly lauded by Deshing Xiong, Deputy Secretary General NNCC, Jermey Douglas, Representative UNODC Regional Office South East Asia & Pacific, Cesar Guedes, Representative UNODC Pakistan. DG ANF Major General Musarrat Nawaz Malik thanked the honorable guests with the resolve to provide all possible services at Regional, continental and global level to control illicit drug and precursor trafficking to make the region and the world a “drug free society”.
