In a first, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s close aide, Special Assistant on Defence Malik Mohd Ahmad Khan came up with an admission of drugs being smuggled from Pakistan to Punjab using drones.
His remarks came during an interview to senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir in Kasur city, which borders the Indian Punjab.
When asked a question on cross-border smuggling of narcotics in Kasur in a video, Khan was heard saying,“Yes, and it (smuggling) is very scary. Recently there have been two incidents where 10 kg heroin was tied to each drone and thrown across. Agencies are trying to stop this.”
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"Big disclosure by PM’s advisor Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. Smugglers using drones in the flood affected areas of Kasur near the Pakistan-India border to transport heroin. He demanded a special package for the rehabilitation of the flood victims, otherwise victims will join smugglers”, Mir later tweeted.
As per a report by The Indian Express, when asked about the whole incident, senior journalist Mir said Khan’s comments were the first admission of drugs being smuggled from Pakistan using drones.
“Malik Mohammad Ahmad Khan is an MPA from Kasur and he is very close to the political and military establishment in Pakistan. He was very close to the previous Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and also to the present military hierarchy,” said Mir, as per media reports.
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“These villagers (in Kasur) say they get no mobile signals. They spoke about movement of drones and smuggling of drugs from Pakistan into India and liquor from India into Pakistan. Khan told me that mobile signals here are jammed by security agencies due to cross-border drone movements,” said Mir.
Mir later also added that Khan came under a lot of fire from Pakistan government after the video went on air.
“He is the local MPA and he has been trying for the PM to visit this area. He has faced criticism for his comments… he is also facing much backlash from his constituents for the lack of mobile phone connectivity and has tried to justify the same by citing examples of drug smuggling,” said Mir.
Cross-border narcotics smuggling: Numbers and data
Earlier this month, Punjab Police revealed data tha showed 795 FIRs registered under the NDPS Act from July 2022-2023 in Ferozepur district alone while most of the narcotics were confiscated from those districts of Punjab that share border with Pakistan.
It has been reported that, on condition of anonimity, a senior BSF officer in Punjab said cross-border smuggling of drugs and arms has continued through use of drones despite India having repeatedly raised the issue with Pakistan.
He also added that on this year alone, they have recovered 260 kg of heroin, 19 arms, 30 magazines, 470 rounds of ammunition and 30 Pakistani drones from Punjab’s border areas.
