Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Country Program: Pakistan

Problem

Pakistan has essentially achieved its ambitious goal, developed some years ago, of eliminating opium poppy production by the year 2000. Despite a small increase in cultivation levels in 2002, overall cultivation levels remain low, with an estimated 622 hectares in production by the end of 2002, primarily in areas of the Khyber Agency that are virtually inaccessible. Despite the best efforts of Pakistan’s law enforcement agencies, however, Afghan opiates continue to be trafficked into and through Pakistan, with the majority going to the European market. Pakistan also has a significant domestic addict population, and is an important transit market for the precursor chemical acetic anhydride, which is destined for Afghanistan’s heroin laboratories.

U.S. Counternarcotics Goals

• Engage in vigorous narcotics interdiction efforts: arrest, prosecute, and extradite major traffickers; pass comprehensive money laundering legislation;

• Continue to deny Pakistani territory to heroin laboratories, expand the poppy cultivation ban, and further reduce poppy cultivation through alternative development assistance;

• Increase security along Pakistan’s long land border with Afghanistan, in order to reduce both drug trafficking and transit of terrorists; and

• Build support for action to deal with Pakistan’s domestic drug problem.

The counternarcotics programs of the Bureau of International Narcotics Affairs (INL) in Pakistan focus on narcotics law enforcement, demand reduction, and eliminating the last remnants of opium poppy cultivation. INL funds alternative development/poppy reduction projects designed to woo farmers from growing opium in Mohmand and Banjaur agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The assistance finances crop substitution, road construction, electrification, and water projects in poppy growing areas where the Pakistani Government’s access is limited due to lack of physical infrastructure and geographic isolation. A similar program is implemented in Dir through a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) project to which the U.S. Government has contributed.

Through law enforcement projects, INL provides equipment, supplies, and training to Pakistani law enforcement agencies engaged in counternarcotics operations. The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) receives most of the support, but law enforcement funding also assists Customs, the Coast Guard, and the Frontier Corps.

After September 11, 2001, INL’s programs in Pakistan took a new direction with the introduction of a $73 million Pakistan Border Security Project. Focused on Pakistan’s long land border with Afghanistan, the Project is designed to assist civilian law enforcement agencies under the direction of Pakistan’s Ministry of the Interior to better detect and interdict illicit cross-border activities, including narcotics, terrorists, and armed militants, contraband of all sorts, and arms and munitions. The Project has four major components: (a) establishing an air wing consisting of five helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft; (b) radio and communications equipment; (c) provision of a substantial number of vehicles in order to increase the mobility of law enforcement officers; and (d) surveillance equipment/optics. In addition, INL programs are focusing on institution building, placing more emphasis on fundamental police reform.

Several new initiatives have been launched in 2003, including a $14 million road-building project in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a $5 million project for roads, border outposts, and border guard training in the FATA, a $10 million criminal data base project, and a $715,000 law enforcement reform project.

Pakistan has a significant domestic drug abuse problem, with an addict population estimated to be as high as three million. The Demand Reduction Project enables teachers, social workers, and parents to recognize narcotics abuse and helps them understand addiction issues. In-depth press briefings and journalist visits to poppy cultivation areas focus media attention on Pakistan’s drug problems and increase Pakistani drug awareness.