President of Awami Tehreek Advocate Vasand Thari. Photo: courtesy — Facebook
HYDERABAD:
Awami Tehreek Advocate president Vasand Thari on Sunday drew parallels between the historic Opium Wars in China and what he described as the widespread proliferation of narcotics in Sindh, alleging that the province is facing a “narcotics war”.
Addressing his party’s three-day educational and training workshop in Hyderabad, Thari said that the Opium War had been imposed on China to subjugate the Chinese nation, and claimed that a similar strategy was now being used against Sindh through rampant spread of drugs.
He regretted that substances such as methamphetamine (ice), hashish, opium, cannabis, gutka, mawa and mainpuri were openly sold on the streets as if they were common commodities. Thari also alleged that certain police officers had previously been exposed for their involvement in smuggling and supplying these substances to shops and kiosks.
“People cannot export or import even basic commodities like tomatoes, potatoes or onions to and from Afghanistan or India without restrictions, but narcotics are easily smuggled across borders,” he said, adding that the situation suggested a “well-planned narcotics campaign” targeting the province.
Thari argued that Sindh’s youth were being pushed towards drug addiction to divert them from social and political struggles, making it easier for what he called “looters” to exploit the province’s resources.
He urged civil society and intellectuals to play an active role in the fight against substance abuse and raise awareness about its impact on society.
Referring to water issues, leader Awami Tehreek said Sindh’s prosperity depended on the Indus River and warned that any threat to the river amounted to a threat to the civilization of the province. “No external invader has ever taken our river from us, but the current rulers are trying to do so,” he alleged.
Thari also commented on the regional situation, praising Iran’s response to what he described as an “imperialist war imposed by the United States and Israel.” He said Iran deserved support to defend its homeland against foreign aggression and claimed the country had gained a psychological advantage in the ongoing conflict. However, he criticized the Western media, accusing them of taking a partisan stance in favor of the United States and Israel.
