Islamabad, January 22, 2026: The Young Parliamentarians Forum (YPF) of the National Assembly of Pakistan on Thursday held a comprehensive briefing session with the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control at Parliament House to review national initiatives aimed at preventing drug abuse and combating narcotics trafficking, with a particular emphasis on youth-centric interventions.
The session was chaired by President YPF Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, MNA, and witnessed strong cross-caucus participation, including members of the Women Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), underscoring broad parliamentary consensus on addressing drug abuse as an issue of national importance.
The Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control was represented by Brigadier Syed Imran Ali, Director Enforcement, who delivered a detailed briefing on behalf of the Secretary. Senior officials present included Lt Col Taimur Niazi, Joint Director Enforcement; Mr Shahzad Durrani, Joint Secretary; and Mr Muhammad Tariq, Director (Law).
In her opening remarks, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar stressed that drug abuse and narcotics trafficking pose not only a law-and-order challenge but also a serious social, public health, and national security threat, disproportionately impacting Pakistan’s youth. She noted that with young people comprising nearly two-thirds of the country’s population, sustained, coordinated, and evidence-based policy responses were essential.
During the briefing, Brigadier Imran Ali outlined the Ministry’s preventive, rehabilitative, and enforcement strategies, including awareness and education campaigns, community-based interventions, treatment and rehabilitation mechanisms, and actions against organized narcotics trafficking networks. He also highlighted emerging challenges such as the rise of synthetic drugs, poly-drug use, cross-border trafficking, and the misuse of digital platforms for narcotics-related activities.
Members of the National Assembly raised concerns regarding the availability and geographic reach of rehabilitation facilities, post-rehabilitation reintegration support, inter-agency coordination, and federal–provincial collaboration in the post–18th Amendment context. Members of the Women Parliamentary Caucus emphasized the indirect yet profound impact of drug abuse on women, children, and families, calling for gender-sensitive and youth-responsive policies.
Reaffirming YPF’s commitment, Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar said the forum would continue to support national anti-narcotics efforts through legislation, parliamentary oversight, budgetary scrutiny, and constituency-level advocacy, while stressing the importance of sustained parliamentary–executive engagement to strengthen outcomes.
The session concluded with mutual appreciation and a shared resolve to continue collaboration through regular briefings and coordinated actions to effectively address drug abuse and narcotics trafficking in Pakistan.
The briefing was attended by Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, Secretary WPC Syeda Shahida Rehmani, and a large number of MNAs from across party lines.
