By Moaaz Manzoor

Pakistan has strengthened its narcotics-control framework through updated provincial laws, tighter pharmaceutical regulation and a new digital case-management system, although the European Commission says trafficking and drug dependence remain serious challenges.

According to the European Commission’s latest GSP+ assessment of Pakistan covering 2023–2025, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa updated their legal frameworks to bring provincial narcotics-control measures closer to national and international commitments.

The provincial reforms introduced tougher penalties, specialised courts and controls on precursor chemicals that can be diverted for the production of illicit drugs.

Balochistan also proposed the Control of Narcotic Substances Bill 2026, which the assessment said was intended to curb trafficking and support social reforms. As the measure was described as a bill, its implementation would depend on completion of the legislative process.

The European Commission also acknowledged institutional and technological steps taken at the federal level.

The Anti-Narcotics Force, which leads drug-control enforcement in Pakistan, launched a digital case-management system aimed at improving the efficiency of investigations and enforcement proceedings.

The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan strengthened pharmaceutical regulations to reduce the risk of controlled medicines and chemicals being diverted from legal supply chains.

The Inter-Agency Task Force on Counter Narcotics supported government coordination by bringing together key institutions to combat drug trafficking.

Pakistan also maintained compliance with its reporting obligations under the three United Nations drug-control conventions during the assessment period.

These include the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

However, the assessment said the improvements in laws and administration had not removed the wider threat posed by regional trafficking networks.

Pakistan remained a transit route for opiates and continued to be affected by cannabis trafficking as both a transit and destination country.

The report also said the country was increasingly exposed to synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine, particularly as a destination market.

Domestic drug dependence remained a severe public-health challenge, requiring an approach extending beyond criminal enforcement.

The Commission recommended deeper regional cooperation to disrupt cross-border trafficking networks and greater investment in the technological and operational capacity of the Anti-Narcotics Force.

It also called for better alignment between federal and provincial laws and recommended that all substances scheduled under UN drug-control conventions be included in Pakistan’s national list of controlled substances.

The assessment further proposed a clearer legal distinction between drug traffickers and people who use drugs.

It said enforcement should be combined with health-based measures, including youth counselling, community-level treatment and harm-reduction programmes.

The findings show that Pakistan has expanded the legal, regulatory and digital foundations of its narcotics-control system. The next challenge is to translate those measures into stronger action against organised trafficking while improving treatment and rehabilitation for people affected by drug dependence.

Credit: INP-WealthPk