By IANS,
New Delhi : Columnist Kuldip Nayar Wednesday blamed Pakistan for supplying drugs across the border in Punjab.
Talking to IANS after a meeting with election commission officials over the civil society’s demand to check flow of liquor and drugs in the state ahead of assembly elections, Nayar said the neighbouring country and some Indian states had been sending consignments of liquor and drugs to Punjab for a long time.
“Punjab, that is known as the land of five rivers, has now been converted its name and has become the land of six rivers” – the sixth being that of liquor and drugs, said Nayar, who was part of a civil society delegation which met poll panel officials.
“It is indicative of loop holes in the security system of Punjab as such consignments reach here through the border. Opium is delivered to Punjab by Pakistan while poppy is delivered from Rajasthan,” said senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, who was part of the delegation.
According to Phoolka, after a meeting Dec 26 with Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Kusumjeet Sidhu, regarding the illicit drugs’ supply in Punjab, the election commission ensured that they had been working on plugging the loop holes.
Around 500 orphans, who have lost their fathers due to drug abuse, from Maqbool Pura in Punjab have been chosen to join a campaign against drugs starting Jan 13.