Half of police personnel in Pakistan's Kasur test positive for drug use

Jun 24, 2021

Punjab [Pakistan], June 24 : In a bizarre case, half of the law enforcement in the Kasur district of Pakistan's Punjab were found positive for drug use during drug tests of police officials.
The drug tests of police officials are being conducted on the orders of the prime minister to bring reforms in the police department, according to Dawn.
The Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) had issued directives to conduct the drug tests of officials ranging from constables to the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers.
The samples of 48 officials, including constables and assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), were collected in the district a couple of days back for the drug test, out of which 24 tested positive.
As per sources, a majority of the policemen found using drugs were constables.
A police official told Dawn that the process of drug tests was similar to that used for declaring common suspects as addicts during the course of the investigation at the police station level.
He said as most of the policemen start using drugs when they get these free of cost, so a strict system of check and balance should be in place, where drugs recovered from criminals were stored before being produced in the court for conviction of the suspects.
One of the policemen declared an addict after the test demanded that officials in the higher ranks should also be picked for the test to implement the IGP's order in letter and spirit.