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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed federal ministers to identify feasible projects for foreign investment in priority sectors, his office said in a statement, amid Pakistan’s push to attract investment to ward off its macroeconomic crisis. 

Pakistan’s government has sought closer trade and economic relations with regional allies, Gulf countries and Central Asian Republics in recent years to bolster foreign trade and investment. Islamabad formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a government body comprising senior civilian and military officials, in 2023 to fast-track decisions related to investment in minerals, agriculture, tourism, IT, livestock and other sectors. 
 
The Pakistani prime minister, who is due to travel to New York today to take part in the United Nations General Assembly, chaired a meeting of senior ministers and officials in London on enhancing investment, economic, and trade activity in Pakistan. 

“The prime minister directed all ministers to immediately identify feasible projects and take steps to turn them into actionable initiatives,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement. 

It added that Sharif directed the ministers to chalk out a roadmap and transformation agenda with a “forward-looking approach” to achieve the goals. Sharif said targets have been assigned to ministries, who have been instructed to utilize all available resources to ensure the timely completion of ongoing projects. 

“Agriculture, IT, minerals, tourism, and renewable energy are key sectors that can attract foreign investment,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office. “Along with investment, promoting trade is also a core part of our policy, so that our exports can see significant growth.”

The prime minister stressed Pakistan’s private sector will play a key role in the roadmap for the country’s economic activities, saying that their participation will be ensured. 

Sharif has frequently said his government seeks to establish trade relations and “mutually beneficial partnerships” with countries and does not seek loan from them only. Pakistan has pushed for sustainable economic growth, driven by exports and long-term financial reforms, after it came to the brink of a sovereign default in 2023. 

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) financial bailout package saved Pakistan from the default, prompting authorities to push for economic growth as the country struggles to make economic gains.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and local authorities have launched a “major operation” in southwestern Balochistan to eliminate poppy cultivation and drug dens in the province on the directions of the army chief and the provincial government, state-run media reported on Monday.

Afghanistan has historically been the epicenter of poppy cultivation and a major supplier of global opiates. But the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in 2023 that opium cultivation fell throughout the country to just 10,800 hectares (26,700 acres) in 2023 from 233,000 hectares the previous year, slashing supply by 95 percent to 333 tons. The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan has banned poppy cultivation and cracked down on growers since seizing power in the country in August 2021. 

ANF Director Syed Sijjeel Haider told the media last year that there has been an increase in drug usage and narcotics smuggling in Pakistan over the past few years, with the majority of those affected being the country’s youth.

International publication Finance Times reported this month that since the Taliban banned poppy cultivation, Pakistan has emerged as “one of the world’s biggest suppliers of opium, with output increasing sharply this year as stockpiles decline.” The report said officials in Balochistan, the insurgency-hit province bordering Afghanistan, were concerned that the area could turn it into an “opium production hub” fueling addiction in the country and enriching militant groups. 

“A major campaign has been launched in Balochistan by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in collaboration with local authorities to eradicate poppy cultivation and dismantle drug dens,” the Pakistan Television News (PTV) reported. 

“The operation is being carried out under the direct instructions of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the Government of Balochistan.”

It said the campaign aimed to make Balochistan drug-free, adding that poppy crops have been destroyed in various areas during operations. The state media said authorities have taken action against those found involved in cultivating and trafficking opium. 

PTV News said that in order to eliminate the nexus between drugs and militants, alternative livelihood opportunities will be provided to locals. 

“The war against drugs is a national responsibility, and it is essential that the government, security agencies, and every member of society play their role in this fight,” the report said. 

Pakistani officials have spoken of increasing drug abuse in the country. Although there are no official statistics, health professionals in Pakistan, a nation of some 240 million, warn that addiction to crystal meth has been soaring. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. Health experts say users get a “euphoric high” that can last from minutes to several hours. Meth abuse can lead to anxiety, insomnia, and violent behavior, according to experts.

Pakistan’s interior ministry approved a fresh National Drug Survey last year to help combat the growing drug problem. The last survey in 2012-13 revealed that around 6 percent of the Pakistani population at the time, or 6.7 million people, had used substances other than alcohol and tobacco in the previous year. The highest prevalence of drug use was in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where almost 11 percent of the population used an illicit substance.