There is a saying – what you sow, so shall you reap. Pakistan is paying the price for its own sins. Around 700 people die every day in Pakistan due to drug-related complications, translating to 250,000 deaths annually
According to an estimate there are approximately 7 million regular drug addicts in Pakistan, of which 4.25 million people are drug-dependent.
Cannabis is the most commonly used drug consumed by roughly 4 million users. About 2.7 million users are addicted to heroin and opium. The percentage of people addicted to synthetic drugs like Methamphetamine is also on the rise.
Significantly a majority of drug users are under 35 years old. 78% of drug addicts are male, while 22% are female
• Drug overdose and addiction lead to serious medical problems
• 3 million drug dependents require professional treatment
• There are only 1,990 beds available for drug treatment, catering to less than 30,000 users annually
The cause behind all this is smuggling. Porous borders and ineffective law enforcement to control drug trafficking.
This is the direct price Pakistan is paying for its policy to make India bleed.
Gen Zia-ul-Haq encouraged the practice of growing poppy and cannabis to destabilise India and finance terrorist activities in India as part of his Op-Topac plan. General Zia’s support for cultivation of narcotic drugs gave a new dimension to international drug trafficking and terrorism in India.
Sponsoring terrorism is an expensive affair. Have you wondered – where the money for killing, kidnapping and sabotage comes from? It comes through illegal and unofficial channels and the market value of narcotic drugs is even higher than all consumer products in the world.
The estimated total cost of funding terrorism in Kashmir per annum is around $70-80 million (approximately Rs 400-500 crore).
About 25% of the cost to promote terrorism in Kashmir is borne by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) which plays a significant role in supporting militant groups. International Islamic organizations and charities, including those from Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), contribute around 20% of the funds.
Smuggling of narcotics is another significant source for generating revenue for terrorist groups.
Terrorist groups also engage in extortion and bank robberies to raise around 10% of the funding.
Counterfeit currency is another means used to finance terrorism in Kashmir.
Some terrorist groups receive funding through Zakat (an Islamic tax) and donations.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted raids in Kashmir to investigate terror funding by Pakistan-based groups. India has been working to curb terrorism funding through various means, including tracking and disrupting financial networks used by terrorist groups.
There is no authentic information about the expenses incurred by Pakistan for promoting terrorism in India. However, on the basis of information gathered from terrorists and drug traffickers it is estimated that Pakistan spends approximately 20 to 30 crores a month on payment to militants alone. ISI pays Rs. 15 to 20 lakhs to militant leaders per month, 3 to 5 lakhs to Afghan Mujahids on contract basis and 15 to 20 thousand to new recruits from both sides of Kashmir.
Monthly Expenses on Militants in Jammu and Kashmir:
- Militant Leaders: 15 leaders – Rs. 20 lakhs each, meaning Rs. 3 crores per month.
- Afghan Mujahids: 400 Mujahids – Rs. 5 lakhs each, meaning Rs. 20 crores per month.
- New Recruits: 2500 recruits are paid Rs. 15,000 each, meaning Rs. 3.75 crores per month.
At this rate the total estimated monthly expenses: Rs. 26.75 crores.
Based on these figures, Pakistan spends around $2 billion per annum for sponsoring terrorism in India, which is allegedly generated from illicit narcotics trade.
Some reports suggest Pakistan spends approximately $20-30 million to achieve its foreign policy goals in India, with a significant portion allocated to sponsoring terrorism.
All these payments are made in cash, there is no evidence to support this argument.
Preliminary investigations by the NIA have revealed that there was a deep-routed conspiracy planned by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) behind the terrorist attack in which 27 people were killed in Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Illicit drug trade is one of the most lucrative ways to acquire wealth and affluence overnight. This money can buy politicians, fund elections, topple an elected government, take over business enterprises and destabilise an established politico-economic system.
The NIA, which is investigating this case, has told the Supreme Court that heroin worth Rs 21 thousand crores was seized from Mundra port in Gujarat recently.
According to the NIA, this was part of a big conspiracy under which drugs were being smuggled to raise money for terrorist activities and weaken the country by pushing the youth of India into drug addiction.
Afghanistan and the NWFP of Pakistan are the biggest producers of opium in the world, which generates huge sums of money in the international market. The drug proceeds are used by the Pakistan government and the non-government agencies to destabilise and disrupt the security environment of India.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati reportedly told the bench of Supreme Court judges Justice Suryakant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh that even earlier narcotics were brought to India from Afghanistan in the name of talcum powder with valid documents. These drugs were kept in the warehouses of Neb Sarai and Alipur in Delhi.
The money received from their sale was sent to Lashkar-e-Taiba for terrorist activities. The NIA has alleged that Kabir Talwar was allegedly part of this drug syndicate and was involved in this illegal conspiracy.
According to an affidavit filed by the NIA, drug smugglers in Afghanistan supported by Pakistan’s ISI and Iranian middlemen sent a huge consignment of 2,988.2 kg of heroin to India. The value of this consignment was Rs 21,000 crore. This consignment was brought to India from Afghanistan via Iran and it was hidden in the form of talcum powder. According to the NIA, the money received from the sale of this drug was to be used to fund terrorism.
